Lara is 15 years old and she's struggling. She is bullied consistently at school, her parents are always arguing, they have no money and her dad is constantly drunk; and to top it all off, she's in love with her English teacher. It is an extremely emotional book.
The author tells a story as if it were real life, and because of this, the book is perhaps one of the most realistic I have ever read. Not all of it, but most of it; the way in which the author writes really gives you the impression that she is writing based on fact, not fiction. The subject of bullying is tackled very well and you really understand and feel for Lara in her more difficult chapters. The
whole book is written in a way that makes it feel as if the characters are real people, and the description adds to that really well.
When reading the book, you feel as if you are watching the events unfold, and there is nothing you can do to help Lara. That's why this book is so good. It makes the reader want to reach out and save Lara, so you are gripped to the book right through to the end. I really like how there are so many opportunities for Lara to come forward and tell people what is happening but she is too caught up in her feelings towards Mr Jagger to notice. It's sad because if she spoke to someone else it might've turned out differently, but she thought she was doing all she could. Even though Mr Jagger really does care for Lara, he never quite manages to make her situation better.
I love the ending of this book. I think it's a brilliant ending because Lara doesn't feel sorry for herself, she feels sorry for Mr Jagger. It's good because it's not how books like this one normally end and I'm glad the author didn't end it with everything going well for Lara. She left it in a place where things
were starting to look up and it makes the reader want to know what will happen to Lara and Mr Jagger in the future.
I really loved this book. I think it was well written and thought out. I also like that it was different. I would recommend this book to teen girls around 15 because I think it is definitely aimed at girls and the content is for slightly older readers. This book is definitely one of my favourites, and if you haven't read it you really need to!
• Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop.
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