In my role as a specialist teacher, I have the privilege of supporting lots of young people who, for various reasons, find being in school challenging. After reading the opening chapter of ‘Always Angel,’ I wished I could share it with every school and teacher I work with – it perfectly encapsulated the storm of emotions experienced by a young person re-entering school after a period of absence and attempted to explain the function of the behaviours Angel’s adults found so challenging.

“Angel finds school hard.

She talks back to teachers, she storms out of lessons, and she’s had more detentions than any other Year 8 student…ever. But really, Angel wants to be good. She wants to fit in, she wants to make friends, and she even wants to win the school baking contest.

But it’s hard to be good when everyone expects the worst. And with her mum not well enough to look after her, and Angel making more and more bad choices, she’s starting to run out of chances…”

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Any tween reader will be able to identify with some of the struggles Angel faces when returning to school – peer pressure, feeling misunderstood, worrying about showing people her true self. The additional trauma Angel has experienced due to her mum’s mental health needs, paired with being taken into foster care will no doubt reflect the reality of some young people too.

Kimberly Whittam sensitively explores other issues experienced by teens – a boy with severe eczema, a young carer, and bullying – wrapped up in a story which will grip readers right up to its conclusion.

A truly wonderful book which I shall be recommending far and wide for readers ages 10+

Jo.

*Many thanks to Usborne Publishing for sending me this title to review*