I pulled the proof out of the box and thought wearily, ‘Not another one.’ With its hot pink and shiny silver cover, clearly this was going to be another teen girl, boy trouble, best mates fall out, average book I’ve seen a hundred times before, full of nothing more than angst, lip gloss and lurve.
Who was it that said you should never judge a book by its cover?
I couldn’t put this down.
Kass Kennedy has much to contend with in her odd, slightly dysfunctional family. She has a father who suffers with a disorder akin to bipolar or manic-depression. He believes his daughter is highly talented, and is always pushing her into things she doesn’t want to do. Her mother and brother don’t seem to want to deal with the difficulties caused by her father’s mental health problems, so when her Dad breaks the news that he has entered Kass for an X Factor audition without her knowledge, her life feels like its gone into freefall.
So begins a desperate crisis for Kass who can’t sing but can’t persuade her father of the fact; is frantically trying to balance her own needs with those of her family and best friends with whom she has fallen out; has a real life boy-dilemma to deal with; and in the middle of it all has dreams about Simon Cowell!
Emily Gale deals with some very difficult and complex topics with a sparkling mix of wit, humour, and intelligence. The characters have real depth, and while the story themes may not be new, their telling is original, and the story is moving and hilarious in just the right quantities. Girl, Aloud gives far more than perhaps it's bright pink, shiny cover promises, delivering on all fronts. Fabulous!
I hope Emily thinks about a follow up, telling us what happens to Kass, her family and friends next. I'm sure Kass's Dad has an armoury of ideas to frustrate, irritate and annoy her.
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