Prompt 27 – By a neurodivergent author

I have enjoyed the Talia Hibbert adult fiction that I have read, so was really looking forward to her new  YA book. And it did not disappoint!

What it’s about?

Bradley Graeme is pretty much perfect. He’s a star football player, manages his OCD well (enough), and comes out on top in all his classes . . . except the ones he shares with his ex-best friend, Celine.

Celine Bangura is conspiracy-theory-obsessed. Social media followers eat up her takes on everything from UFOs to holiday overconsumption–yet, she’s still not cool enough for the popular kids’ table. Which is why Brad abandoned her for the in-crowd years ago. (At least, that’s how Celine sees it.)

These days, there’s nothing between them other than petty insults and academic rivalry. So when Celine signs up for a survival course in the woods, she’s surprised to find Brad right beside her.

Forced to work as a team for the chance to win a grand prize, these two teens must trudge through not just mud and dirt but their messy past. And as this adventure brings them closer together, they begin to remember the good bits of their history. But has too much time passed . . . or just enough to spark a whole new kind of relationship?

What I think:

I loved Talia Hibbert’s Brown sister trilogy, so I had high hopes for this one and it did not disappoint.

This feels like a really authentic YA romance. The characters actually behave like teenagers who are finding themselves and their place in the world.

Celine and Bradley have known each other since they were children and used to be best friends, but as they go to high school and develop their own interests they have become distant, to the point where they would consider each other enemies. As they reach the sixth form, they find themselves sharing classes and are forced to interact.

They are both intelligent and competitive and find themselves rivals on a prestigious development with the chance to win a university scholarship. They both have their own reasons for wanting to win. Celine is determined to prove to her estranged father that she is   strong and independent and that his abandonment of her mother and sister has not impacted her success. Bradley has overcome mental health issues and works hard for his grades. He wants to study English and become a writer, but his father thinks he wants to study law. The scholarship would give him independence and security from his OCD.

Their friendship rebuilds slowly, piece by piece, and they begin to see each other in different ways. They have to confront their past arguments and the hurtful things they have said to one another if they are able to move on. And then there is the fact that they fancy the pants off each other and neither wants to admit.

I really enjoyed this book and it has got straight on to my classroom bookshelf of YA recommendations. It’s so good to read great, entertaining YA that is set in the UK as so much is in from the US.

There’s lots of banter and genuinely laugh out loud moments. The ending is happy and the journey there is joyous with characters who really grow and learn.