Published 11th October 2022 by Neem Tree Press.
From the cover of the book:
Fourteen-year-old Brooke Tyler has spent her whole life waiting for a boy to choose her. Matt is about to go to university, scared to leave behind everything he knows. When both are cast as romantic leads in Romeo and Juliet, they fulfil the roles of forbidden lovers both on and off the stage. Brooke is sure that her fairy tale is coming true - and best of all, Matt is older.Brooke considers secrets and lies a small price to pay for her first boyfriend, but the relationship is set to cost her after one night alone in an empty auditorium. When Brooke learns that Matt’s actions that night were illegal, her world shatters.
Years later, Brooke and Matt reunite as adults. Matt wants to undo all the damage he caused, but Brooke makes a choice which forces them both to question their relationship.
Told in three acts this captivating debut reveals a young woman’s journey for independence as she strays away from everything she has ever known to navigate her traumatic past.
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When fourteen-year-old Brooke is cast as Juliet in a school production of Shakespeare's famous play about star-crossed lovers, she has no idea that it will lead to events that will change both her life and that of her Romeo, seventeen-year-old-Matt.
Brooke has spent her whole life waiting to be the one that is chosen, especially since the break-up of her parents' marriage, and the closeness forced upon her and Matt as they rehearse their roles convinces her that romance is also blossoming between them off-stage. At first, Matt only looks upon Brooke as a much younger friend, but he finds himself becoming attracted to her too, and they enter into a forbidden relationship - one which he insists must remain secret, much like the on-stage couple they are playing.
Brooke believes herself in love, and is happy to follow the rules laid down by Matt, until one night before he heads off to university, something happens between them that breaks the romantic spell. In the aftermath, Brooke's mental health unravels in a way that shapes the pattern of her future relationships.
Four years later, Brooke and Matt meet again. Matt now wants to atone for the mistakes he made in the past, but their meeting sparks something in Brooke that causes her to make a decision that sets her on a different path, and causes him to reconsider what he thought had happened between them.
Cleverly echoing the theatrical circumstances under which Brooke and Matt meet, this is a story told in three acts. The first covers the relationship that develops between them during the run of Romeo and Juliet, which causes Brooke to fall headlong in the depression that has always been dogging her heels. The second is all about the time Brooke and Matt meet again after his return from university. And the third brings the story full circle as Brooke tries to come to terms with the trauma of her past. Within each act, the scenes switch back and forth between the points of view of Brooke and Matt, which allows you to see inside the heads of both of the main characters, so you are aware of heir states of mind in each part of the 'play'.
The overall novel forms something of a coming-of-age story, particularly for Brooke, but also in many ways for Matt too. It delves into so many themes that it is hard to cover them all in a brief review, but Jenna Adams does a splendid job of forcing you to look long and hard at some very knotty issues around consent, unhealthy relationships, and mental health. Intriguingly, she also has some sharp observations to make about the failings of sex education in schools that certainly set your mind working.
As the story unfurls, both Brook and Matt come to realise that what happened between them was wrong, but it is Brooke that bears the brunt of the way in which Matt blindly takes advantage of her despite her obvious vulnerabilities. The story device of swapping back and forth between them is employed well to cover all the shades of grey, and shows sharp insight into the mire of confused feelings of teenage-hood, when hormone driven physical desires hold sway, and emotional maturity lags way behind. Brooke becomes stuck in a pattern that dictates how her life plays out, until the time that she is able to begin to get to grips with her traumatic past through therapy. It is easy to see Matt as the bad-guy here, but although Adams is clearly behind Brooke's journey to independence, there are moments when you can understand how and why he behaves as he does which muddies the waters.
At times, I did feel that the process Brooke goes through in terms of her therapy was actually more destructive than constructive, despite Adams intent to convince the reader that this is necessary for her long-term mental well-being. However, you can see where she is going with this from the prologue onwards, and it certainly offers a lot of food for thought.
This is the kind of book that is absolutely perfect for book groups, because there is so much to unpick from the stories of both Brooke and Matt. Many of the scenes described are extremely painful to read, and this does contain material that may be distressing to some readers, but this makes it all the more thought-provoking. There are some intelligent bookclub questions at the end of the book that direct discussion around the topics raised, which is helpful given the sensitive content. An appendix of contacts is also provided giving details of organisations to contact if you have been affected by any of the issues touched upon, which I think is very thoughtful. This is the perfect conversation starter.
Can I Stray is available to buy now in paperback and ebook formats.
Thank you for Neem Tree Press for ending me a proof of this book in return for an honest review.
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