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Amy is a keen children’s book nerd and spends a lot of time reading and reviewing picture books with her toddler, Fenrir. But it’s not all colourful pictures! Her passion is getting kids reading, and her life's mission is to get the right books in the right hands. Ask her for advice or recommend something to her and watch her eyes light up!
The first book by this author, I Stop Somewhere, was hard hitting and exposed the emotion and the injustice of rich kids trying to get away with rape and murder, this second book brings a whole new light to the experience of friends and families of someone who has commited murder and the psychological effects it has.
When Lexi's brother commits a horrific crime at a young age, she is thrown into a world of mistrust, stigma and blame that she must endure as he serves out his time in juvenile detention. Moving from place to place, trying to escape rumour and judgement, she must find a way to be herself and understand that the actions of others are not hers. Suffering severe depression and the strange quirks it brings, not letting herself open up to anyone and always running, she finally lands in a place where she can start to feel safe.
With a great group of friends, a potential relationship and the slow unravelling of the tightly wound coil of mistrust and worry she has carried around for five years she starts to feel like maybe, just maybe, she can be normal once again. But not everyone is supportive and Lexi must learn to be strong against the accusations that she is not 'upset enough', that 'it's in the blood', that she may have murderous tendancies too.
All We Could Have Been is an insightful book. Dark and heavy in places but full of hope as Lexi battles her trials and becomes stronger because of them. It is a brilliant discussion book that would help teen readers understand the kind of emotion and trauma that victims of murder suffer, not only those who have been killed and their families, but the families of murders themselves. When a crime is committed there are so many layers that those interested in psychological dramas will want to peel back and discover the effects of criminal behaviour on others and hopefully reduce the stigma, bullying and fear and increase empathy towards those who have been affected.
