By Jenny Valentine (author)
"A mesmerising story about friendship, love, loss and grief."
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June 2024 Book of the Month
A new YA novel from Jenny Valentine is always something to celebrate. She writes with beautiful economy, there is never a wasted word, and her books will always leave an indelible impression upon the reader and will have them thinking deeply about what they have just experienced.
This is a mesmerising story about friendship, love, loss and grief. Elk and Mab are sixteen, on the cusp of independence, with everything ahead of them. They met at age eleven and have been inseparable ever since. They have the sort of friendship that everyone dreams of. In an instant, a tragic accident takes that away from them, but they are not ready to leave each other and in their ghostly conversations we learn about their lives, their families, how they met, what they wanted and what led up to the accident.
We see Elk reluctantly falling in love with Mab’s brother France and the threat that this situation presents to the friendship, and a relationship which ultimately becomes the catalyst for the tragedy, with all the guilt this brings in its aftermath.
Sensitive, utterly compelling and profound, with a twist that will leave you reeling, this superbly crafted novel is an absolute must read.
A tear-jerking, heart-breakingly beautiful novel from the award-winning Jenny Valentine, perfect for fans of Adam Silvera, Kathleen Glasgow and Laura Nowlin.
Read the full description
There is one side of that moment, and the other. Before. After. I have dreamed about it ever since.
At the start of a long, hot summer best friends Elk and Mab face the fallout of a sudden death, and the lifelong consequences of a single tragic act. An intensely emotional story that raises questions about love, ghosts, and the unshakeable bonds of friendship.
Jenny Valentine is an award-winning writer for Young Adults. Her first novel Finding Violet Park won the Guardian prize in 2007 and since then she has written many books, including Broken Soup and Fire Colour One, as well as young fiction series Iggy and Me. Her work has been published in 19 countries. In 2017 she was the Hay Festival International Fellow, spending the year meeting and learning from teenagers all over the world. She works to empower and give a voice to young people. She lives all over the place and has two daughters.
A Q&A with Jenny about her first novel, Finding Violet Park
Cool name! I owe the showbiz name to my husband!
This is your first book, have you always wanted to be a writer girl and how did you make it happen? My mum bought me a notebook when I was about nine that looked like a novel on the outside. I had to put the title and the author on the front and then fill it with a story. I knew then. I am not sure exactly how I made it happen - I put the work in I guess.
What was your favourite book as a teen girl? Such a hard question! I read a lot and I always wish I had made lists of all the books I loved. One that stands out would be The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.
For people who haven't read your book yet - Finding Violet Park , what's it all about? It's about a boy who finds an old lady's ashes in a mini cab office and decides to find out who she was. He learns a lot of other things while he's doing it.
Lucas is a great narrator, what made you write from a boy's perspective? No idea! He just jumped out, fully formed, in about the second sentence. I'm not sure I had that much choice in the matter.
Secrets are a big part of the book, what's your biggest secret? Good try!
If the book had a soundtrack, what would be on it? Well, Lucas listens to all his Dad's old records so there'd be some early David Bowie, some Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Ella Fitzgerald, maybe Rolling Stones. Then there'd have to be some piano pieces for Violet to play, Rachmaninov gets played at Lucas's granny's. Then Lucas's own choices might be Sufjan Stevens, Will Oldham, and a song from my husband Alex Valentine's record TARDIS HEART. It's called SORROW and as soon as I heard it I said I'd want it in a soundtrack if I was ever lucky enough to get one.
Apart from your own, what's your favourite book for teens? Holes by Louis Sachar. I love that book. I think it's perfect.
What's the best thing about being a writer? Finding the exact word you've been searching for.
Do you have a writing routine, Jenny? Tell us about it¦ Well it's very un-HELLO! I drink coffee, I have a walk by the river with our dog, I sit down and I re-read some of what I did the day before. Then I get going. Sometimes I look up and three hours have gone by, sometimes it's like getting blood out of a stone. I think it helps to have no routine at all, just to go with it, see how it's working.
What's next in the world of JV? I'm working on my next book. It should be out next year. I can't tell you what it's called yet because I don't know. I'm very indecisive.
The colour pink. Discuss. Let's see...bubblegum, fake fur, rose petals, cold noses, underwear, marshmallows, candy floss, lip gloss... how am I doing?!
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A tear-jerking, heart-breakingly beautiful novel from the award-winning Jenny Valentine, perfect for fans of Adam Silvera, Kathleen Glasgow and Laura Nowlin. There is one side of that moment, and the other.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Us in the Before and After and determined it is suitable for children aged 13-18 years old
Us in the Before and After features in the following genres: Books of the Month, Recommendations, Featured Books for 13+ readers, Horror & Ghost Stories, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, PSHE: Bereavement and Grief, Personal Social Health Economic (PSHE), Romance / Relationship Stories, Star Books, Stories about Family and Friends, Featured Books for Young Adults
Paperback. £8.09, down from the £8.99 cover price. In Stock.
Us in the Before and After was written by Jenny Valentine and published by Simon & Schuster Childrens Books an imprint of Simon & Schuster Ltd
Us in the Before and After has 244 pages
£8.09, reduced from £8.99. In Stock.
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