Review: Her and Me and You by Lauren Strasnick

Her and Me and You by Lauren Strasnick - 4/5 stars

I met Fred first.

Fred: Hot. Enigmatic. Alex’s first friend in her lonely new town. Maybe her first…everything.

I met Adina the following Monday.

Adina: Fred’s twin sister. Cold. Troubled. Trouble.

I kissed him.

She pressed her mouth to my mouth.

People warn Alex to steer clear of the twins, but Alex is drawn to them. She wants to be part of their crazy world…no matter the consequences.

-Goodreads.com

Not gonna lie, I was sort of hoping for some polyamorous action (spoiler!) but while that didn't happen, I still really really enjoyed this. The writing style is sparse, which is my favourite kind, and really pulled me in. The chapters are short and have a sort of moody disconnectedness sometimes but that was perfect for the atmosphere of the novel. 

At 171 pages, it's a fairly quick read but that's not to say that nothing happens because lots happens. Adina is the perfect crazy protective/jealous sister and Fred is protective of her too in his own way. While Adina is anorexic, Fred seems unwilling to come to terms with it. With an absentee father, they're left to their own devices and as a result are very insular until they meet Alex.

I found the relationships between the twins, between Alex and her mother and her father believable and more fleshed out than you would think, considering the page length. Alex's narrative voice is slightly snarky and pitch-perfect teenage girl. When Adina makes a comment about Alex's weight (because, let's face it, she's a bitch), Alex starts to feel self-conscious (until she realizes that not eating = crazy person).

I wish I would have swooned a bit more over the relationship between Fred and Alex but as it is, it is a rather sweet friendship that develops into something more. This is less a romance and more a story about friendship (and crazy twins). 

Overall - really loved the writing style. Wish more YA authors wrote like this. Reminded me slightly of Francesca Lia Block and I don't know why because it's not as imaginative as FLB but maybe the short chapters? No idea. Either way, pick this one up if you have an hour to spare - honestly, it won't take you long and it's a good read. 

(reviewed from library copy)