Betty Plum is a typical, normal teenager when the book starts on her fifteenth birthday. Her mother died when she was just a baby, but before that, she had been writing letters to Betty, for every one of Betty's childhood Birthday's. Betty knew that the fifteenth letter would be the last, and she wished that her mother hadn't died, and she was still here to give her advice. When Toby saunters in Betty's life she has no idea what to do, or how she feels. So when she discovers some more letters from her Mum in the attic, guiding her through teenage love, she is all set. But what will she do when unexpected events are thrown at her?
I have to admit, I thought I would like Love Bomb but I wouldn't love it. I was so wrong. It was a brilliant, easy read which was actually was very humorous. Betty is a great protagonist as she is light-hearted and takes everything in her stride. I love the close relationships she has with her best friends: Kat, Bea and Bill. It was also great to see how Betty and her father got on as their relationship showed the trials and tribulations of adolescence, but also how they could overcome them. It was a total delight to read about the situations that Betty had got herself into, and then see her sort them out maturely, as you can clearly see she has grown up quite a lot by the end of the book.
McLachlan is a lovely writer, especially for young people; she has made all of the characters so easy for teenagers to empathise with. I finished the book quite quickly as it was very relaxed and it was generally a nice, pleasurable read, so it is perfect for anyone who is in a reading slump and wanting to ease back into the word of YA. Overall, I rate this book 4/5 hoots, as it may not be an older young adult reader's cup of tea, but a definite must-have book for a fresh, new teenager who wants to transition from Children's to Young Adult books.
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