I was not expecting the beautiful depiction of grief at the centre of this story. This is a story about loss, longing and reconciling the person you thought you knew with the reality. Brathwaite has created this really touching and authentic depiction of grief. It is an all-consuming cloud at times, but it also sometimes melts away for a moment. Cynthia is emotionally vulnerable and open in a way that makes it impossible for you to not fall in love with her. Her process of grief is so detailed and realistic, striking a chord with me. If you’ve ever heard Candice Brathwaite speak, either on IG Lives, podcasts or in person, you know that 2 minutes does not pass without her dropping gems 💎 there are gems all over in this book as well. Cuts Both Ways is a riveting mixture of contemporary, romance and mystery that completely captures your mind. I have decided to stop saying that I don’t like reading YA because this is the second one I have really enjoyed in as many months.

Cuts Both Ways by Candice Brathwaite - Audiobook - Audible UK Cuts Both Ways by Candice Brathwaite - Audiobook - Audible UK

This is my second time exposing myself to the culture of BPOC through books. The first was Ace of Spades but in Cuts Both Ways, I get to travel deeply in their culture.In her school she meets a plethora of new people some kind and some not so much. However, it is when she meets brothers Thomas and Isaac that things really start to unravel. I thought this book had the potential to be a good book, but instead, it was underwhelming and poorly written. I am no stranger to Candice Brathwaite’s writing; I'm certainly not a fan, but I do believe she has produced much better work than this without sounding too rude. I do not think fictional writing is for everyone. The thing that causes a lot of Young Adult books to be unsuccessful is that people write for an audience that they don’t already have. Unless you're well-established like John Green, you have to develop your style of writing before trying to put yourself in a box for a specific genre. Cuts Both Ways did a poor job of targeting a particular audience.

Cuts Both Ways by Candice Brathwaite | Waterstones

Ongoing Covid restrictions, reduced air and freight capacity, high volumes and winter weather conditions are all impacting transportation and local delivery across the globe.London is all Cynthia knows, but a traumatic incident means her family relocate to the middle of nowhere leaving Cynthia feeling adrift. Bonding with two brothers leaves Cynthia feeling torn but both are keeping secrets. but i’d say in a sense i’m also hurt about her brother, despite being involved in all that, and him being well off - no one deserves what he went through. i never thought he’d be involved in such activities, but it’s why Candice put that in there, it could be anyone and happen to anyone. there was so much life ahead of him :( I really enjoyed this read, it was engaging and had me hooked right from the start. The writing style is perfect for a YA read but also perfect for adults that love reading YA like me. Candice Brathwaite is normally a non-fiction writer and I've read one of her other books so was intrigued to see what this one was about. It's definitely YA which I wasn't expecting!

Cuts Both Ways by Candice Brathwaite | Goodreads Cuts Both Ways by Candice Brathwaite | Goodreads

However I applaud the author for such an important subject matter, and for exploring all the different ways people can grieve and how a lost loved one can affect a family unit, I just felt like there was so much more space for more. I'm not sure I would use it in the curriculum, but I would definitely recommend it to students. Mature Yr 8+,

This is a brilliant read and it leaves you both wanting a sequel and realising not every story has a happy end.