I'll heartily recommend this to anyone over the age of 13/14. It's funny, it's very life-like, it's awkward, it's horrid, it's shocking, it's sad - it's just about everything you want in a teen book.
Stewart is 13, super gifted and intelligent, but slightly socially awkward. He lives with his mum and dad, until his mum dies of cancer and leaves Stewart and his dad devastated, sad and alone.
Ashley is 14, beautiful, popular at school, but slightly dim and not the nicest person in the world (an understatement). She also lives happily with her mum and dad, until her dad leaves them - for another man. Ashley is so ashamed and embarrassed she barely speaks to him any more - even though he lives in the converted shed at the bottom of their garden.
Stewart's dad and Ashley's mum work together. Romance blossoms and they end up living together - much to Ashley's horror. She has no intention on being nice to either of them, especially 'Spewart', and is completely mortified when he transfers to her school, and into her class.
This is a story of love, hate, prejudice, but above all, compromise and forgiveness.
There is an upsetting scene of an adult nature involving a teen girl and teen boy, which is why I wouldn't recommend this to anyone under 14.
This book grew on me the more I read it, and by the second day of reading I just couldn't put it down. It's about love - just like the title says, but it's more than just boy meeting girl, it's about love of film, love of family, love of friends.
Sixteen year old Luke has just started a Film Studies course at college. We know something's not right with his life from the start - he's paranoid about people staring, he doesn't talk very much, he's withdrawn, he has another voice talking in his head to him. Then he meets Leia, who's on the course with him, and they immediately click. They both love films, they're both named after characters in Star Wars, they both think the same things at the same time. They pair up in class to work together on a film script, and they both seem to be telling each other their life stories. Luke knows there's something between them, but it's not a full-on passionate love affair, it's a tentative 'getting to know someone better'. It's chaste and it's beautiful.
Then we learn more about Luke's brother, Marc, who's just about to come out of prison. He's been in for 2 years for serious assault, and life has been strange without him. How will it be when he comes home? Why does Luke has a scar on his face? Who is Craig Miller, and why is everyone scared of him?
The film thread is kept going throughout the book. We read screenplay scene descriptions (eg, 'INT car, dark, fingers drumming on wheel), the book cover itself looks like a manuscript, the characters play film games in the book (eg, Brad Pitt to Robert de Niro in 2 moves). It's all very clever, and it all adds to the atmosphere. Is everyone's life a film? Are we all characters in someone's manuscript?
A brilliant book about love, family and revenge.
Some of the characters from the book (Luke, Zia and Tommy) are in a stage play written by Steven called 'Back Down', and is currently touring the UK.
Steven Camden is also author of another teen book 'Tape'.
Wow, this just raced along! I loved it! Great descriptions, great characters, great story. I loved the fact it was set in the Edwardian era, its fashions, its architecture - yes, I loved it all!
The story itself is set in the newly opened department store in London - Sinclair's. I'm sure if I'd been watching 'Mr Selfridge' on television, I would've been comparing the two shops, but that series passed me by, so I was fresh to the Edwardian shopping experience! An expensive bejewelled clockwork sparrow has been stolen along with many other costly items from the jewellery department. Unfortunately, shop assistant Sophie has found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time and is under suspicion for the theft. It will take a lot of hard detective work from her new-found friends to figure out the real culprits (and there are many sinister and suspicious characters to choose from) and to prove Sophie's innocence.
I very much look forward to more in the series!
If you loved Robin Stevens' Wells & Wong schoolgirl detective series, then this is for you.
I'll heartily recommend this to anyone over the age of 13/14. It's funny, it's very life-like, it's awkward, it's horrid, it's shocking, it's sad - it's just about everything you want in a teen book.
