Last year, Non Pratt (if the text copyright page is anything to go by, then her real name is Leonie Parish) published her debut novel, 'Trouble', about a 15-yr-old schoolgirl who becomes pregnant. As you can see from my review, I enjoyed Trouble, so I was looking forward to reading Non's second novel. I was rather disappointed. It's just basically full of bad language and sexual references - two 16-yr-old girls going to a weekend festival with a box of condoms, one of the girls already sexually active, the other a virgin. I guess I should've seen it coming. I find it quite depressing that teenagers will actually want to read this (because they will), and I don't know whether it's for the reason that it's just a book of dialogue with no literary content at all, or whether it's because this this stuff actually happens in real life. Teenage girls (and boys) think nothing of sleeping around, just giving away their bodies to the first person who shows interest.
'Trouble' was longlisted and shortlisted for many awards, but sadly I don't think 'Remix' is in the same league. Sorry Non.
Trouble
by Non Pratt
I must admit, from the first sentence I didn't think I was going to like this book at all. The first few pages were full of sexual references, crude language and inappropriate behaviour - all from 15-yr-old girls and boys. Do the teenagers of today really talk and behave like this? It's disgusting - and frightening. I have an 11-yr-old daughter and behaviour like that in a few years time is my worst nightmare. Then so is what happens to 15-yr-old Hannah - she becomes pregnant. And that is when the book turns a different corner and I began to enjoy it.
Even though we would never wish anything like that on such a young girl, the way it is handled in the book is with warmth, encouragement, sensitivity, understanding. Of course, there are the expected taunts and bullying from some of Hannah's classmates, and the fact that the father of the baby does not want to accept responsibility (but you will find out why), but Hannah's emotions during this period of turmoil seems very true to life. She is afraid of telling her parents, she wonders if her decision about the baby is the right one (and what a decision for a 15-yr-old to have to take). She is also about to take her exams.
Then there is Aaron - new to the school, son of one of the teachers, hanging out with a crowd he doesn't really want to be with, carrying the weight of a horrific incident from the past. He befriends Hannah and offers to do something that no other boy would do - pretend he is the father of the unborn baby. So begins a friendship which is strong enough to carry both of them through the rocky 9 months ahead. But then, being a pregnant 15-yr-old schoolgirl is never going to be easy.
