Tag: teen fiction

‘I Dare You’ by Tamsin Winter

Rebecca RouillardLeave a comment

Willow & Alma are thirteen-year-old best friends and joint owners of the ‘Wilma’ TikTok account where they video each other doing dares and challenges in the hopes of going viral and finding fame as influencers. When the basketball hoop challenge goes wrong they have to be rescued by the fire brigade, but the video is a huge hit and they get caught up in trying to do increasingly extreme challenges to chase the high of social media views. The chilli challenge and the duct tape challenge are marginally successful, but when Willow sees the fireball challenge she knows that it is their ticket to finally going viral. Alma is not convinced the fireball challenge is a good idea, she’d rather focus on her stage school audition, but she lets Willow talk her into it and the aftermath of that decision will change both of them forever.

This story is told from the perspective of both girls, and despite the fact that they both love acting, their lives are very different. Willow is the stronger character but her family is not as affluent as Alma’s, which means she has stronger motivation to seek internet fame as a means of escape from their small town. Alma is easily led by Willow, especially as she feels guilty for not telling Willow that she has applied to a stage school that Willow would never be able to afford.

‘I Dare You’ is the very definition of a cautionary tale. It is painful to watch Willow and Alma consistently make the wrong decisions over and over again, but also easy to understand how they are sucked into the relentless and addictive quest for social media affirmation. Once again Tamsin Winter proves her capacity to write for the teen category with authenticity, empathy and insight – a thought-provoking and frighteningly plausible read.

Thanks to Usborne & NetGalley for the digital ARC.

‘The Love Interest’ by Helen Comerford

Rebecca RouillardLeave a comment

Jenna’s home town of Nine Trees has been under a prophesied threat of doom as long as she can remember, but when disaster is averted by the world’s newest superhero, Blaze, Jenna is the first person he saves, and thus becomes his official Love Interest. But Jenna has no interest in becoming a love interest and pawn of the patriarchal Heroics and Power Authority. Apart from the HPA’s problematic attitude towards women, there’s also the fact that Jenna loathes attention and tends to have panic attacks in large crowds. At the same time she can’t seem to stop running headfirst into trouble and finds Blaze annoyingly attractive, despite her determination never to fall for him. 

But when Jenna is approached by the Villains, with an offer to help find her mother who went missing ten years ago, she finds herself playing both slides and wondering who is actually telling the truth.

I couldn’t put this book down. It’s a sharp, fast-paced and satirical take on the superhero genre but the story is also full of heart and humour. There is also some romance but this is not just a rom-com, and Jenna Ray is an excellent snarky, feminist protagonist. ‘The Love Interest’ is a playful, energetic and genre-blurring read, perfect for fans of TV series like ‘Ms Marvel’ and ‘Extraordinary’. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Thanks to Bloomsbury for the ARC.

‘King of Nothing’ by Nathanael Lessore

Rebecca RouillardLeave a comment

An author’s second novel is always a tricky proposition, particularly when their debut has been widely celebrated and shortlisted for the Carnegie medal. But I am pleased to report that ‘King of Nothing’ is just as funny, heartwarming and authentic as ‘Steady for This’. 

Anton is not a particularly likeable character at first. He is a self-proclaimed ‘King’ of Year 9 and, together with his group of friends, he intimidates the rest of the pupils and staff of their school. Anton’s scary reputation is boosted by the fact that his Dad is in prison and he’ll do anything to maintain that reputation, apart from going up against his mum – particularly as she controls the wifi code. So when Anton gets into trouble at school, his Mum drafts him into her community project and a local group called the ‘Happy Campers’ which includes Matthew who has been relentlessly bullied by Anton and his friends. But after Matthew saves his life, they make a deal. If Matthew never talks to him in public, Anton will help Matthew win over his crush, Fernanda. 

But as Anton starts to spend more time with Matthew and less time with his other friends, he finds that he begins to like himself more and feel more hopeful about his future. But when his dad is released from prison, Anton’s loyalty is pulled in a different direction.

‘King of Nothing’ is a fantastic portrayal of the toxic masculinity culture so many teenage boys are exposed to these days through YouTubers like Andrew Tate, and it clearly explores Anton’s thought process as he becomes disillusioned with the ideas his dad and his friends are expressing – particularly with regards to women and relationships.

If it sounds a little worthy, the style is not like that at all. Anton’s interactions with Matthew are particularly hilarious, and the jokes make the book a lot more engaging than the gritty subject matter would suggest. 

By the end of the book Anton had thoroughly won me over – I almost liked him as much as the delightfully whimsical Matthew. Another captivating read from Nathanael Lessore – perfect for the tricky ‘teen’ age category. Loved it!