My Week With Him is the story of Nikki, a girl who comes from a dysfunctional family and hence decides she wants to move to California in aims of starting a career in music but there's only one thing stopping her, Mal.
I'm on the fence about what I thought about this book as whilst at times I couldn't wait to find out what happens next there were also moments where I thought the story was dragging without much happening.
I like the character of Nikki as I feel we really got to know her in the story through her vulnerabilities and the sections of the book that gave a note to what happened in Nikki's past that was relevant to the current situation she faced or thought she had. It was lovely to see her relationship with her sister Vae and how they stuck together when times got tough both in childhood and in the timeframe of the book.
The sisters mum is a vital character to the story but I found it very unrealistic that she went from being so self centred to suddenly changing completely after being shouted at. As she seemed a narcissistic character this just wouldn't happen in reality, it'd be more likely that her behaviour towards the girls would get worse after the confrontation so this made me question the book as it felt less genuine after this point.
My favourite parts of the book were between Nikki and Mal as despite the troubles the pair have faced both together and in childhood you can tell that they really care for each other and it was lovely to read.
What did get on my nerves throughout the story was the constant mentioning of 'white' people which almost always was with a negative connotation and the one time it wasn't it was because a couple were being described but when they were trying to help they got implied they were racist as part of the story. Ironic really as if the opposite happened from a white person they'd soon be cancelled for racism but it's ok for black authors to have this kind of thing implied in a YA book. The few times a 'black' person was mentioned this was always in a positive light. Personally I don't care what colour skin they have unless it's relavant to the story so why the incessant need for the author to bring it up all the time.
Aside from the above issues it was an enjoyable read, I just wish we got to know what happened after that week as I feel like the books been left on a cliffhanger at such a great point in the story!
I'm on the fence about what I thought about this book as whilst at times I couldn't wait to find out what happens next there were also moments where I thought the story was dragging without much happening.
I like the character of Nikki as I feel we really got to know her in the story through her vulnerabilities and the sections of the book that gave a note to what happened in Nikki's past that was relevant to the current situation she faced or thought she had. It was lovely to see her relationship with her sister Vae and how they stuck together when times got tough both in childhood and in the timeframe of the book.
The sisters mum is a vital character to the story but I found it very unrealistic that she went from being so self centred to suddenly changing completely after being shouted at. As she seemed a narcissistic character this just wouldn't happen in reality, it'd be more likely that her behaviour towards the girls would get worse after the confrontation so this made me question the book as it felt less genuine after this point.
My favourite parts of the book were between Nikki and Mal as despite the troubles the pair have faced both together and in childhood you can tell that they really care for each other and it was lovely to read.
What did get on my nerves throughout the story was the constant mentioning of 'white' people which almost always was with a negative connotation and the one time it wasn't it was because a couple were being described but when they were trying to help they got implied they were racist as part of the story. Ironic really as if the opposite happened from a white person they'd soon be cancelled for racism but it's ok for black authors to have this kind of thing implied in a YA book. The few times a 'black' person was mentioned this was always in a positive light. Personally I don't care what colour skin they have unless it's relavant to the story so why the incessant need for the author to bring it up all the time.
Aside from the above issues it was an enjoyable read, I just wish we got to know what happened after that week as I feel like the books been left on a cliffhanger at such a great point in the story!