Book Review: No and Me by Delphine de Vigan

Lou Bertignac has an IQ of 160 and a good friend called Lucas who gets her through the school day. At home her father cries in secret and her mother hasn't been out of their flat properly for years.
The Lou meets and becomes friends with No, a teenage girl living on the streets, and asks her parents if No can come to live with them. No's sudden presence within Lou's fractured family has an explosive force which will change the lives of Lou- and her parents- forever.

I really wasn't sure what to make of this book when I received it but I am pleased that I read it as I think it is great and extremely thought provoking. The book has been translated from the original French and is actually set in the city of Paris.
Lou's relationship with No starts out as a school project but eventually their relationship seeps into every part of her life. Lou is different, she is only 13 years old but her IQ has placed her two years ahead and therefore surrounded by people older than her. No is 18 years old but Lou and her have an extremely strong connection, strong enough for Lou to ask her parents if No can come and live with them rather than sleeping on the streets.
Delphine de Vigan explores the huge difficulty that homeless people have in integrating into society again and just how desperate and frustrating their situations can be.
At first I felt that Lou simply wanted to help No but as the book progresses I started to see that Lou perhaps sees No as the answer to some of her problems especially those surrounding her parents.
No and Me is a very powerful book and I think that it is perfect for young adult readers as it raises so many questions. I would highly recommend this book, it would be great for a book group or for the starting point of exploring homelessness with young people.

This book was published yesterday by Bloomsbury.

New to Dot Scribbles Shelves + GIVEAWAY Winner!!

I have been very lucky this week here at Dot Scribbles, lots of lovely books have been popping through my letterbox!
Four for review this week:

Wicked Games by Sasha Wagstaff (Headline Review- Published on 15th July) Dobonair and dynamic, millionaire Judd Harrington has returned from LA a glittering success. But as he stares across the valley at Lochlin Maguire's beautiful country house, all he can think of is revenge. Meanwhile Judd's arch-rival has troubles of his own. Lochlin's record label is losing major talent to an unknown competitor, his wife Tavvy is distracted and he can't seem to see eye to eye with his son Shay. Unbeknownst to Lochlin, his talented singer daughter Iris has fallen for irresistible racing driver Ace Harrington in LA. Ace is under orders from Judd to break Iris's heart. What he hadn't bargained for was losing his own in the process. Can he go against his father's wishes? Or will Judd's wicked games ruin love's young dream?

I Heart Paris by Lindsey Kelk (Harper- Published on 8th July) When Angela Clark's boyfriend Alex suggests a trip to Paris at the same time as hip fashion mag Belle asks her to write a piece, she jumps at the chance. But even as she's falling for the joie de vivre of Paris, someone's conspiring to sabotage her big break. And when she spots Alex having a tete-a-tete with his ex in a local bar, Angela's dreams of Parisian passion all start crashing around her. With London and her old life only a train journey away, Angela can't decide if she should stay and face the music or run away home...


Time of Death by Alex Barclay (Haper- Published on 22nd July) FBI agent Ren Bryce's hunt for some of the country's most dangerous killers is about to turn into a nightmare. There is unfinished business between Ren and those she is pursuing, and soon she is forced to confront both personal and professional traumas. Then someone close to Ren is murdered and secrets from her past look set to be revealed, throwing her into a world of fear, paranoia and danger. Dark forces are at work and someone is determined to destroy Ren's life. But time is running out and Ren must catch a killer before he catches her...


No and Me by Delphine de Vigan (Bloomsbury- Published on 2nd August) Lou Bertignac has an IQ of 160 and a good friend called Lucas who gets her through the school day. At home her father cries in secret and her mother hasn't been out of their flat properly for years. Then Lou meets and becomes friends with No, a teenage girl living on the streets, and asks her parents if No can come and live with them. No's sudden presence within Lou's fractured family has an explosive force that will change the lives of Lou- and her parents- for ever.

I only bought one book this week but it is simply HUGE!!


The Passage by Justin Cronin (Orion) Deep in the jungles of eastern Colombia, Professor Jonas Lear has finally found what he's been searching for- and wishes to God he hadn't.
In Memphis, Tennessee, a six-year-old girl called Amy is left at the convent of the Sisters of Mercy and wonders why her mother has abandoned her.
In a maximum security jail in Nevada, a convicted murderer called Giles Babcock has the same strange nightmare, over and over again, while he waits for the lethal injection.
In a remote community in the Californian mountains, a young man called Peter waits for his beloved brother to return  home- so he can kill him.
Bound together in ways they cannot comprehend, for each of them a door is about to open into a future they could not have imagined. And a journey is about to begin. An epic journey that will take them through a world transformed by man's darkest dreams, to the very heart of what it means to be human. And beyond.

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GIVE AWAY WINNER!

The winner of my giveaway to win a copy of What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty has been drawn from a hat and the book will be going to:

Alicia

Please email me your address and I shall post the book to you at the weekend! Congratulations!!!