Cuts Both Ways

Product Information

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. Wow. Where do I even begin with this book. Cuts Both Ways is like an onion. There are layers. On the surface level it is about a boy and a girl who fall in love. On a deeper level it is a Romeo and Juliet tale with a basis in crime. On a deeper level it is about the socio-political and economic values and expectations that the BPOC community face on a daily basis. The plot line is a Victorian melodrama of the modern day, with unlikely but predictable coincidences. It is engaging and fast paced. The story would have had wider resonance if the posh kids had been usual entitled middle class rather than ridiculously rich. Having servants in the modern day, with other kids, even in a private school, seeing this as normal, is ridiculous. English–Arabic English–Bengali English–Catalan English–Czech English–Danish English–Hindi English–Korean English–Malay English–Marathi English–Russian English–Tamil English–Telugu English–Thai English–Turkish English–Ukrainian English–Vietnamese The plot wasn't believable and felt rushed. A pondering question I have upon finishing this novel... What was the message? What can people gain from reading this?

Cuts Both Ways by Candice Brathwaite | Waterstones

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.

Another moment that made me cringe is when Thomas the white upper class foster brother of Isacc is interested in a date with Cyn and so asks her dad if he can take her out on a date - WHILST SHE IS STOOD RIGHT THERE - boy bye this is not the 1850s.

Cuts Both Ways by Candice Brathwaite | Goodreads

LoveReading4Kids exists because books change lives, and buying books through LoveReading4Kids means you get to change the lives of future generations, with 25% of the cover price donated to schools in need. Join our community to get personalised book suggestions, extracts straight to your inbox, 10% off RRPs, and to change children’s lives. I feel like there are still questions to be answered so would love to see a sequel but I also appreciate and respect the idea that not every story has a happy ending and sometimes we are left without annswers. I would love to see a HEA though 🌚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. Cuts Both Ways is a riveting mixture of contemporary, romance and mystery that completely captures your mind. 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. Love is never easy, is it? Especially not when your love interests are adopted brothers from different cultures, each of whom you relate to on a different level, each of whom seems to be lying to you about different things, neither of whom you can really trust...

Candice Brathwaite | The Guardian Candice Brathwaite | The Guardian

A self-confessed beauty and fashion obsessive Candice has a style segment on Lorraine on ITV where she has become known for gently encouraging people to be bolder about embracing colour in their wardrobes. The story's twists were predictable far ahead. It contained repeated phrases such as 'it was like she was reading my mind'. Physical perfection was rated very highly. Morality loomed high. This is a brilliant read and it leaves you both wanting a sequel and realising not every story has a happy end. This is the second time I’m reading about Joint Enterprise law in fiction. I love learning new things through fiction. There she is met with microagressions straight away—from teachers who do not bother learning to pronounce her name, to students gossiping about 'gangs killing each other in London' and desribing her natural afro hair as 'unkempt'. These serve as a stark reminder of the casual prejudices that still linger among today's society.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. Hello Yellow - 80 Books to Help Children Nurture Good Mental Health and Support With Anxiety and Wellbeing - Cuts Both Ways was a really powerful read and its ending – whilst not ambiguous – certainly allows for more of the story to be told and I really home that Candice Braithwaite turns it into a series. Through ‘Cuts Both Ways’, Candice has captured the reality of many young people in London and other cities marred by gun and knife crime. I was drawn into a world I could only imagine before reading this story.