I wasn't expecting to love this book as much as I did, but We Come Apart is probably my favourite book of the year thus far (I'm actually hoping that it's not the only book I'll give more than 4 stars to, but we'll see). We Come Apart is beautifully written; it's actually in verse, with dual POV from the main characters, Jess and Nicu. I once wrote in a review that I find epistolary novels really hard to get into, and novels written in verse are no exception to this feeling. Which is why I was really surprised that I connected so much to the characters and enjoyed the book so much. I do really think this is a testament to the authors' writing ability. 
 The two things I loved about this book were the characters and the writing. The authors present characters with depth who are realistic and have to deal with their own struggles and flaws. I felt a lot of injustice and anger at the way both Jess and Nicu were treated at times in the story, but also felt joy and happiness when they found times where they could be themselves and when they started to realise the love that was blossoming between them. 
 This novel deals with some interesting and important issues. To put it plainly, Jess has a hard home life; both her mother and her go through domestic abuse that her stepfather puts them through. As well, she is dealing with issues with friends and is finding it hard to understand who she really wants to be. On the other hand, there is Nicu, who only recently moved to England, and who does not know much English and struggles to make friends. His traditional father also pressures him to get married and move back to their homeland. 
 At first, I wasn't sure how two characters with such different lives could ever meet, let alone become friends. But their friendship was written so well that it felt realistic and organic. Throughout the novel, the characters go through so much and show a lot of character growth, especially in regards to the attitudes and outlook that they have before. 
 The writing was also lyrical and just a joy to read. It was easy to understand and was never overly descriptive or metaphorical. I think it very much suited the story. The two POVs have such a different writing style which really provides insight into the two characters, but never felt forced and went well together. You do really come to care for the characters and invest in their stories. 
 If there was one drawback, it's the ending. I haven't read any other reviews so I'm not sure if this was an issue for other reviewers or maybe it's just me, but I really did not like the ending. I think this is partially because I did come to connect and care for the characters in the story so much, which made me feel that much worse when things didn't pan out so well. To an extent, I also think the ending was kind of realistic (view spoiler)[it's not a HEA, that's for sure (hide spoiler)]. But, I have to admit, I felt sort of betrayed. The ending just came out of nowhere, and it was quite abrupt. I wasn't expecting it. And I feel, after the lead up of the whole story, for it to end like that with (view spoiler)[Jess leaving on the train by herself because of Nicu's selfless actions (hide spoiler)], it defeated the whole point of the story. There was never a clear moral to the story, but I felt confused as to how we, the reader, was meant to feel after the ending. Were we meant to feel like life is unfair and sometimes it remains that way? Which is a super depressing question to leave the readers with. As well, the ambiguous ending left so many questions unanswered. It felt unfinished; I wanted to know what would happen to the characters. They ran away from their problems and nothing was resolved. (view spoiler)[I wanted to know what would happen to Nicu. Were we meant to believe that he would finally have to succumb to his father's wishes? How about Jess? Was she destined to make a new life somewhere, when she's hardly independent, and never see her parents again? How about Jess and Nicu? What happens to their friendship, the bond they had only just begun to embrace? (hide spoiler)] Overall, the ending left much to be desired and left me feeling unsatisfied and let down. 
 I don't want to detract from the novel too much, because it was still a really good book. I loved the characters (maybe a little too much) and the writing style and the way it made me feel so many emotions. That's why, even after the ending (which is always a very important element to me), it still gets 4.5/4 1/4 stars (I still haven't decided). We Come Apart is such a great story that unfortunately did have an ending that wasn't satisfactory. I still think it's worth reading regardless of the ending, but just a warning it won't leave you feeling very happy at all. 
 Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.