HomeNew suggestionsYoung adult → The Places I've Cried in Public by Holly Bourne

The Places I've Cried in Public by Holly Bourne

Written by · Published Dec 12, 2019 · Filed under Literary fiction

The Places I've Cried in Public

See The Places I’ve Cried in Public in our catalogue

“Amelie loved Reese. And she thought he loved her. But she’s starting to realise love isn’t supposed to hurt like this. So now she’s retracing their story and untangling what happened by revisiting all the places he made her cry. Because if she works out what went wrong, perhaps she can finally learn to get over him.”

The Places I’ve Cried in Public was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it certainly did not disappoint.

The story follows a memory map made by Amelie and all the key locations where she cried. Each location holds a specific memory, and by retracing her past Amelie is able to free herself from the skeletons in her closet so she can move forward and begin to blossom in a new season. Author Holly Bourne perfectly encapsulates the feeling of sheer emptiness after love is lost, which will sadly resonate with so many different readers.

The character of Amelie is so realistic. Her thoughts and feelings really capture her young spirit and mind, while her voice is witty yet sensitive and, like her, grows stronger as the story goes on. As a reader we grow particularly close to Amelie as we experience her thoughts and emotions first-hand, and we want the best for her throughout her trauma.

The last line of book in particular really resonated with me and felt like the perfect end to a beautiful story of light at the end of a dark and gloomy tunnel.

The Places I’ve Cried in Public is a beautiful story of love, loss and growth through the darkness of heartbreak.

Rose Gant

Rose Gant

Hi, I’m Rose, a volunteer YA reviewer. I am a student at the University of Suffolk studying English. Check out more of my reviews on my book blog.