A tender, complex character study from the author of Before I Die (2007).Mikey is a boy from the housing projects, working as a dishwasher in a pub to try and keep his fatherless family together. Ellie is a daughter from a privileged family whose biggest worry is passing her final exams. When Mikey's sister Karyn claims she was raped by Ellie's brother Tom at a party, Mikey cruelly plans to use Ellie to get close to Tom in order to exact revenge. Instead, the impossible happens: Mikey and Ellie fall in love. Now each feels that to swear allegiance to the other will tear their families apart. And when Ellie decides to change her statement about what she witnessed that fateful night, each family must come to terms with the inevitable consequences. In Dowham's capable hands, what could be the sordid topic of a daytime talk show instead becomes a graceful catalyst that tempers and transforms Ellie and Mikey, who only want to do what's right but aren't sure how. The secondary characters are equally vivid, especially Mikey's overwhelmed alcoholic Mum and Ellie's tormenting and tormented brother Tom. Crisp, revealing dialogue, measured pacing and candid, unaffected prose round out this illuminating novel in which any reader can find someone to root for or relate to.Unforgettable. (Fiction. 14 up)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

After Mikey's 15-year-old younger sister Karyn accuses college student Tom Parker of raping her, Mikey plans to avenge her. But when he goes to the Parkers' sprawling house, heavy spanner in hand, he meets Tom's younger sister, Ellie, and an attraction sparks between them. Downham's (Before I Die) sophomore novel is set in coastal England, and while there's a fair amount of detail about the English legal and school systems, as well as regional vernacular, the book's powerful themes are universal. As Mikey and Ellie's relationship deepens, and both feel forced to choose "sides," they struggle with their loyalty to their families, their feelings for one another, and broader issues of class, gender, and power. Well-drawn characters allow readers to sympathize with nearly everyone; Ellie, "the primary witness," is in a particularly difficult spot as she begins to waver about testifying for her brother ("I keep going over and over that night in my head and more stuff comes back to me, more things fit into place," she says). With no tidy solutions, it's an unflinching portrayal of love under pressure. Ages 14-up. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

*Starred Review* Mikey's 15-year-old sister, Karyn, is holed up in the family's apartment, unwilling to go out or see anyone since accusing an older boy of sexual assault. Feeling helpless and outraged, Mikey vows to seek revenge for his sister, even as the court case against Tom Parker continues. Meanwhile, Tom's sister, Ellie, the only witness to the alleged crime, feels unsure about her statement to the police. When Mikey (who at first hides his identity) meets Ellie, their attraction to each other only exacerbates matters. The family dynamics of their very different home lives powerfully dictate the moves each makes: Mikey lives with a drunken single mother in subsidized housing, while Ellie comes from a family of privilege. Ellie's dilemma is especially harrowing, threatening to separate her from one or both of her parents as the day of her testimony approaches. Each time, Ellie and Mikey draw close, pull apart, then draw close again, Downham puts readers inside their heads, feeling and understanding their complicated emotions as she masterfully shifts points of view. This excellent sophomore effort from the author of Before I Die (2007) should have broad appeal for teens looking for weighty issues tied to their romance.--Cruze, Karen Copyright 2010 Booklist

Mikey McKenzie and Ellie Parker are drawn to each other: there's an immediate attraction and mutual fascination, albeit a perverse one considering that Mikey's sister Karyn has accused Ellie's brother Tom of rape. Though Mikey knows exactly who Ellie is from the beginning, Ellie is at first unaware of his identity as the brother of Tom's accuser -- the lying floozy who is tearing her family ("Team Parker") apart. The controlling event in the story is undeniably the alleged rape of Karyn by Tom, but these two play very small roles in the plot. Instead, Downham gives us an intriguing look at the crisis from the siblings' perspectives; the author's focus is the trauma Mikey and Ellie endure rather than the trauma of the incident. An omniscient narration escribes Mikey and Ellie's separate thoughts and feelings, even when they're physically together, sharing a united experience as unlikely partners, equal victims, and parallel protagonists. The mounting attraction between them is increasingly tantalizing as their relationship grows more prohibited, especially after sole witness Ellie changes her story. Beyond the appeal of forbidden romance, this riveting novel from the author of Before I Die makes a larger comment on the bond of family: its strengths, but also its limitations. katrina hedeen (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

IN the classic star-crossed romance, a crime forces a choice between youthful passion and family loyalty. For Romeo and Juliet, it's the murder of Mercutio; for Tony and Maria, it's the knife fight between Sharks and Jets. This is how tentative adolescent love turns into high drama. Parents don't object to boyfriends or girlfriends for being taciturn or tattooed. They object because of a blood feud. In "You Against Me," Jenny Downham renews this formula by making the crime that divides her characters an alleged date rape. The girl who says she's been assaulted is Mikey McKenzie's sister, Karyn; the boy she accuses is Ellie Parker's brother, Tom. As if that's not enough to doom the smitten Mikey and Ellie, Ellie is her brother's key witness - she was the person who was there the night he brought Karyn home and got her drunk. When Mikey and Ellie first meet, her wealthy family is throwing a welcome home bash for Tom, who has just been released from pretrial detention. Crashing the party in pursuit of revenge, Mikey doesn't let on to Ellie who he is, which allows them to be drawn to each other. If that sounds creaky, ask yourself if Romeo and Juliet had it any better. Mikey and Ellie aren't quite as arresting as Tessa, the fierce protagonist in Downham's heartstopping first novel, "Before I Die." But they're vivid enough to make their shared dilemma come alive. Mikey, 18, lives in an English housing project with his two sisters and alcoholic, emotionally AWOL mother. When a cop visits, Mikey courts her with a cup of tea, then panics: what if she asks for a biscuit? "Weren't children supposed to have nice things to eat in their homes?" Meanwhile, Ellie, 16, has the makings for a fancy picnic in her kitchen. But her father has shrunk from her since she reached puberty - "it was a slow retreat," as Ellie puts it - and her mother won't accept her memories of the night of the alleged date rape. Increasingly, what Ellie has to say complicates the family's effort to defend Tom. Downham's strength here is in allowing for plenty of moral ambiguity. Mikey's mother wonders why her daughter Karyn got so drunk at Tom's house and whether it would have been better if she'd never encouraged her daughter to go to the police. Ellie wonders how Tom could bave known Karyn wanted to have sex with him, as he claims, given the drunken state she was in. Most daringly, especially in contrast to the often simplistic portrayal of situations like these, Downham also shows Mikey and Ellie acting on their own dark impulses. Mikey wants to protect Karyn, but in his own romantic escapades, he can't even be bothered to undress a girl he sleeps with. Ellie wants Mikey to play it straight with her, but then she lures him into her bedroom to set him up. Their imperfections heighten the ambiguity. It helps, too, that Mikey and Ellie use the same awesome slang that the teenagers use in the British version of the comedy-drama "Skins." "Do you fancy her?" is so much better than "Are you guys going to hook up or what?" As the story builds to its tumultuous conclusion, Mikey and Ellie have to make the inevitable choice between new love and old allegiances. But because of Ellie's role as witness, her decision is the more fraught. She's in a position no one would wish for. The ending falters a bit, but that too may be inevitable. The hard question at the heart of this book - what would you do? - doesn't have a single answer. For her young readers, Downham frames it remarkably well. Emily Bazelon, a senior editor at Slate, is working on a book about bullying.

Gr 8 Up-Mikey's life is a juggling act: Mum spends her days and nights with cheap sherry, seven-year-old sister Holly needs help getting to school each day, and Mikey is working at a menial job that offers the hope of a tantalizing career. He faces further complications when his 15-year-old sister, Karyn, completely withdraws, suffering the devastating aftermath of a rape by Tom Parker. Ellie Parker has always been a quiet little nerd until she witnesses her brother's brutal sexual assault of her classmate. The pressure from her family to protect Tom at all costs has forced her into the position of fabricating a statement to the police about what she knows. For both Mikey and Ellie, the balancing act of their personal lives becomes more precarious when they meet. They are drawn to each other but are torn between family solidarity, an inability to trust any member of the enemy's family, and the feelings of their hearts. Downham brilliantly captures the struggle of these two star-crossed lovers as they navigate the stormy waters of family loyalty, social workers and legal systems, job and school. With touching honesty, she brings her characters to life in this poignant story of love and choice. Mesmerizing.-Barbara M. Moon, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.