brookesbooks_and_dogs's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
anjadevries's review against another edition
5.0
The book that got me into Romance.
I was in a real reading slump last year and think I only read no more than 5 books the whole year! And I cannot remember why I picked up or how I found Someone I used To Know but I’m so glad I did. Before this I only ever read Dolly Alderton & Thriller/crime books and I can’t believe I didn’t read romance sooner!
Paige Toons writing in Someone I Used To Know is so beautiful. The story is so heart warming and bittersweet and this is one book I would love to forget just so I can read it all over again and feel the emotions for the first time. It not only shows romantic love but also family love and I fell in love with every character, i just cannot explain how perfect the storyline is! I would highly highly recommend Someone I used To Know.
I was in a real reading slump last year and think I only read no more than 5 books the whole year! And I cannot remember why I picked up or how I found Someone I used To Know but I’m so glad I did. Before this I only ever read Dolly Alderton & Thriller/crime books and I can’t believe I didn’t read romance sooner!
Paige Toons writing in Someone I Used To Know is so beautiful. The story is so heart warming and bittersweet and this is one book I would love to forget just so I can read it all over again and feel the emotions for the first time. It not only shows romantic love but also family love and I fell in love with every character, i just cannot explain how perfect the storyline is! I would highly highly recommend Someone I used To Know.
stephyrose06's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
carinab's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
khairun_atika's review against another edition
4.0
"People used to say to me, 'I don't know how you do it. I couldn't do it; I couldn't say goodbye.' But you can and you do and it hurts and it never stops hurting. But it's not meant to be easy. These kids need someone to care for them and hurt for them and never want to let them go. Someone has to. I had to. Your dad and I both did. It was our calling." - Someone I Used to Know by Paige Toon
Paige Toon's stories are usually in the form of emotional, moving and poignant tearjerkers of love, kinship and romance. This story is no different. Heartwrenching in its premise and heartbreaking in its delivery, this is one of my favourite Paige Toon books.
Leah was raised in a picturesque and serene North Yorkshire alpaca farm, where her loving and generous parents fostered many young children who desperately needed care, placement, affection and security. Her parents were committed in creating a warm and affectionate environment for everyone in their home.
The appearance of George, a troubled young boy of Leah's age, changes Leah's life forever as she finds herself inexplicably drawn to him. They both befriend another troubled boy, Theo, and the three of them formed a strong bond. As ghosts from both Theo and George's pasts beckon, Leah soon finds herself deserted and heartbroken as she learns to deal with yet another departure. Fifteen years later, a distraught and grieving Leah faces George's unexpected return, and Leah realises that there are things in her past that she has not dealt with as well - particularly, her feelings for George.
While this might seem like another love triangle, or a story of second chances, it is actually much more complex. The focal point of the story is the plight of foster families. Leah was raised in a home filled with many foster children. While this makes her selfless and compassionate, it also makes her sensitive and vulnerable to others' situations. Leah is a woman with a big heart, who strives not to resent her parents for their vocation and learns to welcome the foster children to her own home.
There are so many poignant accounts of fostering that are portrayed in this story. From the teenage runaway, to the separated siblings and abused children, it is hard not to get emotional while reading this book. I was particularly moved by George's story, and this book illustrates the impact of broken families and the heartbreaking effects on many innocent young souls.
It is so endearing to read about Leah's family, and how her parents treat every foster child as their own. It is truly moving to see the way Leah's parents greatly influenced the lives of the many children they fostered, and how they went on to be so loved and nurtured to be remarkable people as well.
This is a beautiful, beautiful story about love, family and kinship. Amidst the romance encompassed by hope and second chances, is also a great portrayal of how fostering itself is a beacon of hope and second chances. Truly unforgettable and filled with lots of love and tears, this is one of my favourite Paige Toon's books, and I highly recommend it.
Paige Toon's stories are usually in the form of emotional, moving and poignant tearjerkers of love, kinship and romance. This story is no different. Heartwrenching in its premise and heartbreaking in its delivery, this is one of my favourite Paige Toon books.
Leah was raised in a picturesque and serene North Yorkshire alpaca farm, where her loving and generous parents fostered many young children who desperately needed care, placement, affection and security. Her parents were committed in creating a warm and affectionate environment for everyone in their home.
The appearance of George, a troubled young boy of Leah's age, changes Leah's life forever as she finds herself inexplicably drawn to him. They both befriend another troubled boy, Theo, and the three of them formed a strong bond. As ghosts from both Theo and George's pasts beckon, Leah soon finds herself deserted and heartbroken as she learns to deal with yet another departure. Fifteen years later, a distraught and grieving Leah faces George's unexpected return, and Leah realises that there are things in her past that she has not dealt with as well - particularly, her feelings for George.
While this might seem like another love triangle, or a story of second chances, it is actually much more complex. The focal point of the story is the plight of foster families. Leah was raised in a home filled with many foster children. While this makes her selfless and compassionate, it also makes her sensitive and vulnerable to others' situations. Leah is a woman with a big heart, who strives not to resent her parents for their vocation and learns to welcome the foster children to her own home.
There are so many poignant accounts of fostering that are portrayed in this story. From the teenage runaway, to the separated siblings and abused children, it is hard not to get emotional while reading this book. I was particularly moved by George's story, and this book illustrates the impact of broken families and the heartbreaking effects on many innocent young souls.
It is so endearing to read about Leah's family, and how her parents treat every foster child as their own. It is truly moving to see the way Leah's parents greatly influenced the lives of the many children they fostered, and how they went on to be so loved and nurtured to be remarkable people as well.
This is a beautiful, beautiful story about love, family and kinship. Amidst the romance encompassed by hope and second chances, is also a great portrayal of how fostering itself is a beacon of hope and second chances. Truly unforgettable and filled with lots of love and tears, this is one of my favourite Paige Toon's books, and I highly recommend it.
gemmaj97's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
bookloverjulie's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
3.5 stars. She surprised me with that plot shift about 2/3 of the way through.
milliesreadingcorner_'s review against another edition
5.0
I have had this book on my shelf for well over a year and I am kicking myself for not reading it as soon as I bought it! Paige Toon’s writing is something to be praised and the emotions that were evoked on every page is something to be admired. The story was gripping and heart-breaking but in the end is beautiful which when it comes to the topics within this book is difficult to do. This book is all about grief, heartbreak, love, and family which was done so well, and I personally haven’t read a book like this before, and I will very much be looking out for books that are similar to this one. This book follows Leah whose family when she was a child were foster parents and Leah fell in love with one boy names George who she had formed a relationship with through her parents fostering him. They grow closer and make friends with a boy named Theo who is another boy with a damaged history who had been expelled from boarding school and the three of them become inseparable. The book is split into Then (past) and Now (present) which is one of my favourite ways authors can structure their books because I love seeing the history of the relationships that shape who the characters are now. The female main character, Leah, is one of the strongest female main characters because of her journey as a child being surrounded by foster siblings and just the devastating things that happen throughout her life and she is just a really strong character to read about. I won’t give any more information because I will give spoilers If I’m not careful but please just read this book It is incredible.
lexhayz's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars rounded down. I’m leaving this book with mixed feelings. While this is certainly a really unique concept for a romance book, I have a few critiques that made this book less enjoyable for me:
-Starting the story in the “Now” timeline made the story have a disjointed and confusing start, and actually took away from the character development of several characters, especially Theo.
-I think that many of the “Then” chapters felt unrealistic to be told from a 15 year old’s perspective while written in the present tense. No matter how educated or empathetic the people 15 year old, I just find it highly unlikely she would have actually spoken/thought the way she did in the book.
-The book occasionally read like a manual/non-fiction piece on the foster system that felt unnatural to me, and occasionally preachy.
Now for the things I liked, again, I found this to be a very unique romance story that was very sweet. I loved all of the details about the alpacas and the Angora rabbits! Found families and long-lost loves are some of my favorite romance tropes, so I found those aspects to be enjoyable.
-Starting the story in the “Now” timeline made the story have a disjointed and confusing start, and actually took away from the character development of several characters, especially Theo.
-I think that many of the “Then” chapters felt unrealistic to be told from a 15 year old’s perspective while written in the present tense. No matter how educated or empathetic the people 15 year old, I just find it highly unlikely she would have actually spoken/thought the way she did in the book.
-The book occasionally read like a manual/non-fiction piece on the foster system that felt unnatural to me, and occasionally preachy.
Now for the things I liked, again, I found this to be a very unique romance story that was very sweet. I loved all of the details about the alpacas and the Angora rabbits! Found families and long-lost loves are some of my favorite romance tropes, so I found those aspects to be enjoyable.