Review: Crumble by Fleur Philips

Crumble by Fleur Philips

Pages:168 

Format: book 

Buy the Book: Amazon 

Goodreads:  Eighteen-year-old Sarah McKnight has a secret. She's in love with David Brooks. Sarah is white. David is black. But Sarah's not the only one keeping secrets in the close-knit community of Kalispell, Montana. Her father George, who owns a local gun shop and proudly drives a truck with a Confederate flag bumper sticker, hides his own complicated past. When he discovers Sarah's relationship, George decides to share his feelings with Alex Mackey-a lonely classmate of Sarah's whom George has taken under his wing. As Alex embraces the power of Sarah's father's dark hatred, the hopes and dreams of young lives hang in the balance. In just a few short months, Sarah and David will graduate from high school and leave Kalispell for a new life together in Los Angeles. Maybe in California, they can stop hiding their love-and the other secret they share...something George McKnight-and Alex Mackey-will never accept.


Kritters Thoughts:  A quick read that is packed with quite a few punches as three teenagers take the forefront of the story in a volatile town, but in the current moment.  In the first few pages, there were quite a few social issues presented - racism, teen pregnancy, and domestic abuse, it seemed like quite a lot to tackle in such a little book. I appreciated that this book took a turn at the end that I couldn't even predict - it made the book more than just a bunch of issues.

Call me naive, but I couldn't believe that racism was still so rampant in our country.  There were a few moments when I had to remind myself that this story was taking place in the current moment with President Obama already elected.  The other social issues that were tackled in this book made sense to me, but do we still have the extreme racism that was present in this book?  Maybe so. 

I would definitely say this book was a YA read, but it definitely would need parental discussion if given to a younger audience.


Rating:  perfect YA read


Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from BookSparks PR.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.