Inequality between men and women in our society is lit up under a spotlight. Belle and Joni live in a society where if you identify as female you can choose to follow the Doctrine and try to become a ‘Pretty’. That means, amongst other things, you need to live up to nearly impossible beauty standards and be sexually passive for the benefit of men. Or you can refuse to comply and be labelled an ‘Objectionable’. If you do that , you face social rejection and ridicule. I’m not gonna lie, parts of the book made me REALLY uncomfortable. Descriptions of Smut (porn), where women are spat on and degraded, is something the Doctrine encourages people to watch to reinforce men and women’s places in their society. There are loads of descriptions of the pressures people face to look a certain way, and even though this is dystopian, it’s not that far from the truth. There’s a long way to go before there’s true equality between genders.  This book isn’t the right prescription for you if you want to feel warm and cosy about the world, but it is right for you if you’re fed up of misogyny, and you want some validation. “ . . . we’re all groomed to worry constantly about what we look like – it’s a deliberate pressure. It’s designed to keep us down. To limit us. Divide us. Masks…Beauty…it’s all about weakening and dividing us.” This is a book for anyone who’s pissed with the # patriarchy, # misogyny, or struggling with the impact of # sexualassault and #bodyimage (although massive TRIGGER WARNING — there are some deeply disturbing descriptions). Video review here

Mystery and tragedy on a private island. Cadence and her family spend every summer on their private island, along with Gat, who Cadence falls in love with, despite her grandfather’s disapproval that Gat isn’t white American. Gat, Cadence and two of her cousins hang out every summer, but suddenly, everything changes.  Cadence has a head injury that causes horrible migraines, and she relies on pain killers, which causes all sorts of gossip amongst her family. Worst of all, she can’t remember what caused it, and no one will tell her, even though they all know what happened. This book is full of twists, surprises and tragedy, and takes a hard look at the devastating consequences our actions can sometimes cause. It also explores the problems caused by class and racial tensions when they’re left unchecked.  “We should not accept an evil we can change.”  #drugaddiction #racism #classism #familydisagreement #consequences #privilege

A page-turning, almost diary account of a high school girl whose life changes entirely overnight with one horrid event. When something bad happens, it's difficult to know how to talk about it. Sometimes you just can't find the words. Something awful has happened to Melinda. Something that took her friends, her self respect and her words. It's a year long journey before she can finally talk about what happend on that awful night and begin to heal. Depressed and completely apathetic about school because of the traumatic event, the only solace she finds is in her art class. She is almost entirely alone with parents who can't understand her silence and just one superficial, new friend. When the same fate looks likely to befall her friend we wonder if Melinda will step up and speak out or remain silent. This book is an incredible read about #sexualabuse #lonliness #school issues and about not being able to speak up.

Emmy’s accident has changed everything. Now her brother Joey’s in rehab, Luther’s in juvie and Candy’s dead. Rich parents, nice house, good grades, she shouldn’t have much to complain about, but everyone is talking. There’s so much noise that she finds quiet in the arms of the boy next door. But it must be secret, he says. “Just between us.” This book has everything that’s tough about being in high school as well as home issues like #controllingparents and #addiction. Recommending for 15+

This is a story about bullying and about hiding who you are. A combo of horrid bullies and the passing of her mother causes Libby to become  America’s fattest teen.  She was so fat she had to be cut out of her house and a film crew were there to see it. It’s not long after she restarts school that people discover who she is. Jack is hugely popular but is hiding a terrible secret. He has prosopagnosia or face-blindness and has trouble identifying even his family members. A dual narrative with a slow burn love story - I LOVE this book! This is a book for discussing #bodyimage and #bullying.

Deaf teen on the run hides from her abusive Chief of Police father with famous band. Alison is desperate to run away from her abusive dad who does not understand her need to be part of a Deaf community. Famous rock star, Jace, has promised himself he will never, ever speak sign language again. This is, until he meets Alison, who has bruises on her arm and a swelling on her face that he cannot just ignore. Battling with huge emotional baggage, the pair embark on a secret friendship that changes both their lives. A teen, clean #romance that explores #deafness #physicalabuse fame and corrupt policemen.

The true story of an 11-year-old British boy who swam across the channel! From the first page, this is an incredible story of achieving, seemingly an impossible dream. Although I’d never attempt something so barbaric myself, I was fascinated to find out just why (seriously, why?!) and how Tom came do something so incredible. Tom Gregory writes beautifully. It’s not so much a book about swimming but of growing up and having the determination, dedication and passion to complete such a task. Anyone can be inspired, just as he was: just an ordinary kid, from an ordinary background, pretty much proving that anyone can do anything. A book for exploring #change #comingofage #findingyourself and #growingup “I finally understood …that what I was doing was not normal. In the final act it had become so utterly unpleasant that I wished it all away. I decided I would never do this again, ever. Nothing could possibly be worse than this form of mental and physical torture. The thing I thought I wanted for some years now, to hold a world record and be the youngest swimmer, turned out not to be something I wanted at all.”

Self-harmer surrounded by addicts breaks free of old habits. Charlie Davis doesn't know how she got to Creely, but she doesn't want to leave. The doctors are kind, it's warm and she has a bed to sleep in. The bandages on her arms and legs hide her shame for a while; selective mutism keeps her secrets hidden too. But sooner, rather than later, her time is up. The bandages are off, her voice must be used and she's back in the real world of addicts and bad influences trying to find a place to stay, a job and trying hard to not cut. This is a book for exploring #selfharm #cutting and getting over #additction.

A non-fiction self-help guide to not giving a hoot about what anyone else thinks. Growing up is confusing, especially when you’re trying not to ‘let people down’ or ‘live up to’ someone else’s expectations. If you fancy being free from all that, this is the book for you. Matthew Syed is a two time Olympic champion tennis tabler and has plenty of experience doing the wrong things (like, almost burning down a bakery! Carrying a skateboard to and from school every day for a year! And worst of all, throwing his favorite book in the bin before he’d finished it!) just because it seemed ‘cool’. He even took a job he hated because everyone else thought it was such an opportunity for him. Although some of the language in this book might seem a little patronising at times, it’s sage advice for adults just as much as younger readers. It’s also pretty funny as he recounts his childhood of fashion disasters, embarrassing parents and stupid decisions. It would be enormously useful if you’re someone who often says no to things because that pesky Kid Doubt (Matthew’s metaphor for your own worries) gets in the way and makes you believe things that aren’t true. Things like ‘I’m not good enough’, ‘I don’t deserve this’, or even , ‘I couldn’t possibly.’ Matthew’s question is, why ever not? Stick to the plan, your manifesto for living (which he’ll help you create along your reading journey) and dare to be you. This is a book for #anxiety #growingup #isolation #selfdoubt

Misogyny in a religious setting, this book examines girl-girl friendships and fear of female sexuality in a hostile environment. Tierney, like all the other sixteen year olds from her town, must survive her ‘Grace Year’. Some of the girls have been promised in marriage before they are all abandoned in a desolate place, barely protected from poachers who will try to take their skin and body parts. It’s a tradition to rid the girls of their ‘magic’ by depriving them of their basic home comforts. Soon the trapped together girls turn nasty. But why? Criticising social norms and examining this violence of girls towards other girls, this book plunges into some serious trust issues. At times, I was sweating and fearful of the poachers (from the safety of my warm bed) and genuinely rooting for true love. Friendship, a fickle thing for a 16 year old, takes courage and trust. A book for those feeling disappointed by society, religion or friendship and for exploring  #isolation #complicatedgirlfriendships #feelingdifferent #misfitism #feelingtrapped “Maybe we had to destroy everything in order for something to be born anew”

A story of being completely and utterly lost among school bullies, immigration proceedings, political prisoners and hidden truths. Sade’s mother is shot on their driveway in Nigeria just as she gets ready for school one morning. Why shoot the wife of a journalist? Because that journalist, Sade’s father, wrote the truth about the Nigerian government. Her brother Femi stops speaking and within the space of two days they are abandoned in London not knowing who they can trust or how much truth they can tell. Not knowing where their father is, or whether he’s dead or alive. The rhetoric around immigration and refugees among politicians and newspapers can be confusing. If you want to understand what it’s really like to have to flee your home country under difficult circumstances, this is the book for you. #refugees #immigration #politics #isolation

Good girl suddenly switches into self distruct. Split your personality into two: Christina, the goody goody who gets great grades and has always been the perfect daughter; Bree, who says yes to things Christina wouldn’t dare to do. Drugs, specifically meth here, are the obsession of this book about addiction. In beautiful prose-poetry we readers get to be inside Christina’s (or more often Bree’s) head as this story of the perfect student quickly and irrevocably unravels. This is an ugly tale and it’s not long before she’s in the back of a car with a handsome boy she just scored from who wants her to pay with her virginity. Yet it is, like its subject matter, addictive. It’s an immersive experience to read this book which is based on the real story of Ellen Hopkins’ daughter. A harrowing but relatable tale that shows just how quickly things can fall apart. This is a book to explore #addiction #isolation #parents #sexuality #drugs