I very much enjoyed this book. I really liked the parts where Marla would forget that "Toffee" was in the house and she would try to kick her out of the house because it was really funny. It took a bit of time to get the characters down. The author made a stylistic choice to have all spoken words in italics and not in quotes, once I understood that it made the book easier to read and follow. 

I did like that this book ended with a formation of a non-traditional family unit, and it shows that we can all find a family, even if it is not what we are expecting.

Allison is running from an abusive father and a home she wants to forget. In the search to start over she encounters Marla, a woman who forgets who she is, but wants to remember. Marla is positive (some days) that Allison is really Toffee, an old friend. And Allison soon discovers that maybe that’s who she wants to be. Exploring the themes of love, abuse, and finding oneself, Crossan weaves a beautiful web of story telling as Allison and Marlas lives intertwine to tell a powerful tale of self-discovery and the realization that maybe the one thing you are looking for can be found in the most unexpected of places.

Being Toffee
by Sarah Crossan
Pub Date: 14 Jul 2020
Read courtesy of NetGalley.com

I didn't know what to expect; I didn't expect a verse novel. So because of the online format in which I began to read it, I didn't catch on the the verse novel's format at first, which added to the disconnected, choppy storytelling I thought I was experiencing. Once I caught on, it became a really fast, emotional read. However, I still don't know who Marla's Toffee is.

Although this wasn't meant to be fantasy, I had to suspend disbelief that Allison could be a squatter in an occupied house without someone calling her out. Although Marla had dementia, others coming and going didn't. In spite of this, I liked Allison, and I liked who she was when she was with Marla.  Allison's past didn't ruin her; it made her empathetic. 

I agree with other reviewers that the verse novel format served the story well; it reflected both broken characters' trying to understand the world and each other. 

.... Hang on... I'm going to read the story again; no, seriously. I can't decide where on the scale of "stars" I'd place this book.  Hum the Jeopardy tune a few times... I'll BRB.

OK, I'm back. Thanks for waiting. You can stop humming now.

The writing is lyrical, and I still love Allison/Toffee and Marla. It's the other characters that get in the way. Not so much the other teens, but the adults. Though I guess they are meant to get in the way. Like some movies, I guess this is a story one could read over-and-over and still find something new to discover and discuss. I like that about it. But I know better who Toffee is now, and this just confuses me more. I might have to go for a third read... You don't have to wait around this time. Oh, yeh, I forgot to tell you... I gave it 4 ****

Books written in verse will never not make me cry. 

Being Toffee is such a unique story, centering between a 15 year old running away from an abusive father who ends up living in secret in the home of a woman with dementia. The choice to write in verse felt perfect for this story because it gave Allison's shattered world a tattered, disjointed feel that made the character feel more real (and made me more emotional oh my god my poor heart). 

This book is 400 pages and yet every single world felt like it was chosen with such a strong intent and purpose that it'd be a hard story not to love.

I had a hard time with this book because it had moments of brilliance in the writing, but at the same time I struggled with following everything. The format of the egalley may have also had something to do with this.  Overall, a good book an I will continue to check out Sarah Crossan, it just fell a little short for me.  Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book absolutely blew me away and I have already recommended it to many of my friends and peers.  The prose is well-thought-out and poignant, and the characters are realistic and vibrant. Toffee, Allison, is a relatable protagonist that you can really "cut your teeth on." I will be sharing this book with as many of my students as I possibly can and reading many more by the author. Thank you!

This review will be biased, because I have loved everything that Sarah Crossan has written. Toffee is a character who is easy to fall in love with and sympathize with. The themes of coping with dementia, abusive relationships, and finding self worth are important for all readers. I will definitely use an excerpt of Crossan's work to inspire my students and recommend this book; I will look forward to purchasing a copy for my classroom library.

I picked this book from netgalley not really knowing much about it.  The relationship between the two main characters was well written.  It was a challenge sometimes determining who was talking and where the story was taking place.  I was a much better reader because I had to pay attention more.  I asked myself questions about early events in the book and by the end I was satisfied with the answers to my questions.