Things we have in common - Tasha Kavanagh

Yasmin would give anything to have a friend . . . 
And do anything to keep one.

The first time I saw you, you were standing at the far end of the playing field. You were looking down at your brown straggly dog, but then you looked up, your mouth going slack as your eyes clocked her. Alice Taylor. I was no different. I used to catch myself gazing at the back of her head in class, at her silky fair hair swaying between her shoulder blades.

If you'd glanced just once across the field you'd have seen me standing in the middle on my own, looking straight at you, and you'd have gone back through the trees to the path quick, tugging your dog after you. You'd have known you'd given yourself away, even if only to me.

But you didn't. You only had eyes for Alice.

Let me just begin my review by saying WOW!

I'm not sure why I chose to review this book. It may have been that it said it was similar to "Curious Incident of the dog in the night time". I started to read it and I wasn't sure what it was all about, and the one thing that I still miss about having a "real" book is referring back to the cover. So I re read the synopsis and started again. 

It took me a while to get into the fact that the book is told through the eyes of a teenager called Yasmin. However, once I did - boy I could not put this book down. For me it was reminiscent in plot to "Gone Girl" which I thorough enjoyed. It also had echoes of "The Lovely Bones". But enough comparisons because this book really deserves to stand in its own limelight.

So began my train of thoughts -  "is she making it all up in her head", "is this really happening". Then I went onto - "yes, I knew it" followed later by being completely wrong! It is on reflection a very dark book but because it is told through Yasmin that never really hit me whilst I was reading it. A few really clever twists that I never saw coming or even had time to guess because I was reading so fast I wanted to know what happened next.

The writing is absolutely brilliant, and I totally forgot that an adult had written this. It was just like being inside a teenagers head - scary at times, yet so insightful. There were parts when my heart was literally in my mouth as I felt for Yasmin and what she was going through.

I'm just still trying to come to terms with the ending. I do like a book where it is all done and dusted rather than being left thinking "so what happens now?".............

My thanks go to Netgalley for allowing me an e copy of this book to review.