Book Review #19: When I Was Joe by Keren David

 

I had never read anything like this book before it was given to me by my mum. She wanted to get me away from typical 'romance books', and with this one, she completely succeeded. The cover shown above was the first thing that attracted me to the book. The blood splatters half freaked me out and half made me want to get to the conclusion of the book before I even opened it.

 

The book is about a teenager called Ty. Ty has just seen someone get killed, but rather than keep his mouth shut about what he's seen, he goes straight to the police. But it's not just anyone that's committed this crime. It is a group of gangsters who will do anything to make sure that Ty's mouth stays permanently shut! So, to protect themselves, Ty and his mother have to go into a witness protection programme, where he is able to reinvent himself as 'Joe'. Life as Joe seems to be a lot better than life as Ty. But does being in witness protection mean that you are actually protected? And when Ty meets a girl that he likes, could her own dangerous secret destroy him?

 

I completely loved this book, so much so that I had to buy the sequel 'Almost True' as soon as I finished reading it. The character of Ty is great, mainly because he is written so well. Ty's a bit of an outcast, and a bit stuck in his shell. So the fact that being 'Joe' allows him to come out of his shell and to change his characteristics is great because it allows us to see a completely different side to him, and it allows the reader to have more of a bond with him.

 

What was good?

To be honest, I never find myself drawn to books with a male protagonist (because romances are always more romantic when written from a woman's point of view, and romance is my most read genre) but I was completely surprised by how much I loved Ty. I don't know if this is because the book itself is written by a woman, but I could definitely connect with Ty and sympathise with him. I also liked the character of Ty's mother, because it shows how one decision can change, not just your life, but the lives of those around you. And the relationship between Ty and his mother is great!

 

What was bad?

The book is quite dark, so if you're looking for a light-hearted read, this certainly isn't it. As well as this, this is the type of book that you really have to concentrate on while reading. Which isn't a problem for me personally, but I know that some people may not want to concentrate too hard on books.

 

Overall

Even if you don't think this will be your type of book, I 100% suggest that you get it. As long as you prepare yourself for the violence and darkness of the book, I'm sure that everyone will find this an exciting read!

 

 

I suggest that if you buy this book, you buy the sequel too (pictured above) because trust me, once you're into the story, you won't want to stop until you find out how it ends. I know I didn't!

 

Thank you for reading.

 

Comment below what your favourite book genre's are!