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A review by girlreading
This Train Is Being Held by Ismée Williams
4.0
A truly delightful and surprising read.
The romance was EVERYTHING. It was tender and warm and raw and everything you could possibly want in a YA romance. It was somehow both an 'instalove' story and a slow burn romance and I loved it so, so much. I was 100% all in and onboard with it from the get go and coming from someone who pretty much never gets on with 'instalove' style romances, that's saying a lot.
The plot itself was gently paced and I was hooked from the first page until the last. It was intense and heartbreaking but wonderfully explored parental pressures, mental illness, Latinx culture, prejudice and balancing your professional aspirations with relationships.
Ismée Amiel Williams' writing style was comfortable to read whilst packing a major punch. The vulnerability she managed to portray in both Alex and Isabelle was superb. I absolutely loved the narrative surrounding the trains and the inclusion of Isa's passion for ballet and Alex's love for poetry were such brilliant additions to the plot and their characters. I adored the cast of characters and enjoyed both Alex and Isabelle's POV's equally, which I've found to be a rarity in books with dual perspective.
Overall, this was a tender yet heart wrenching read and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.
The audiobook narrators were also a 10/10!
TW: racism, police brutality
The romance was EVERYTHING. It was tender and warm and raw and everything you could possibly want in a YA romance. It was somehow both an 'instalove' story and a slow burn romance and I loved it so, so much. I was 100% all in and onboard with it from the get go and coming from someone who pretty much never gets on with 'instalove' style romances, that's saying a lot.
The plot itself was gently paced and I was hooked from the first page until the last. It was intense and heartbreaking but wonderfully explored parental pressures, mental illness, Latinx culture, prejudice and balancing your professional aspirations with relationships.
Ismée Amiel Williams' writing style was comfortable to read whilst packing a major punch. The vulnerability she managed to portray in both Alex and Isabelle was superb. I absolutely loved the narrative surrounding the trains and the inclusion of Isa's passion for ballet and Alex's love for poetry were such brilliant additions to the plot and their characters. I adored the cast of characters and enjoyed both Alex and Isabelle's POV's equally, which I've found to be a rarity in books with dual perspective.
Overall, this was a tender yet heart wrenching read and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.
The audiobook narrators were also a 10/10!
TW: racism, police brutality