Gemma longs for her lost mother, taking comfort from the cuttings in her scrapbook; pictures of mothers who loved their children come what may.
Mike is new to the area; a boy with a terrible secret to hide. A secret about his missing mother.
Gemma and Mike – two kids hurt by their past and now inextricably linked. Their effect on each other’s lives will be explosive.
This is a brilliant, gritty novel from Malorie Blackman aimed at older children or younger teens.
The dual narrative follows the stories of Gemma and Mike, who are both struggling to deal with past trauma and difficult family dynamics. Mike, the new boy at school is (on the surface) sociable, popular and seems to have it all, whereas Gemma feels unnoticed and invisible to her family and her peers. Their worlds collide when Gemma realises she has seen Mike in a newspaper clipping and endeavours to find out more about his past – especially why he has told everyone his mum has died when Gemma knows this not to be true.
A brilliant, compelling tale exposes themes that some children will be familiar with, others less so. The story explores themes of friendship, bullying, trauma, parents in prison, death, separation, mental health, domestic abuse and family relationships. As often, Malorie Blackman weaves a tale with a moral message and shows her readers how mistakes can be rectified through honesty and a good support network.
review
Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:
Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:
Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?
Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?
Would you recommend the book for use in primary schools?
yes
Curriculum links (if relevant)
Curriculum links (if relevant)
Any other comments
Any other comments
