I am back with another book review, today it is All in Pieces by Suzanne Young.
The story follows Savannah, who is sent to an alternative high school/detention center after stabbing her boyfriend with a pencil after he mocked her little brother's disability. Classified with anger management issues, Savvy finds solace in her new school with some new friends, Retha and Travis. When Cameron, the new kid, shows up, Savvy gives him little thought. She's got enough to deal with: a psychotic ex, an alcoholic dad, an absentee mother, and taking care of her little brother well enough that her aunt doesn't step in and take him away.
*While I won't be talking about it too much in this review, there is a trigger warning for sexual assault in this book.*
First of all, let's talk about Savvy! She was absolutely everything I want and need in a strong female character. She's tough and resilient most of the time, but she also has her moments where, for good reason, she just cannot handle it anymore. Her love for her brother is genuine and Young writes their interactions so well that I was feeling all the emotions Savvy was. I couldn't even imagine what her life must be like, but Young does a phenomenal job of trying to help the reader understand.
I've also been finding recently that the slow-burning romances are really working for me. This book is no different. We pretty much know that something is going to develop between Cameron and Savvy, but Young doesn't rush it. The romance is a large part of this novel, but it is not the only thing in this novel. The focus on school and family issues takes up a major portion of the story, and rightfully so. The slower development of their relationship was really well done and I felt like it really helped other aspects of the story shine.
As in her other novels, Young really makes the characters shine. Even more secondary characters like Retha and Travis are well-developed and fleshed out. I would love to see maybe a companion novel with the two of them as the main couple! Even though some of their characters are shown in this book, I'd love to see more of them and the problems they face, especially with Travis and his family life.
I've only been finished reading this book for less than 12 hours, but I'm still thinking about it. I can already tell it's one of those ones you don't forget about, you keep thinking about it.
Overall, this is a gritty and painful story, but a must read.