Readers in their early teenage years can find themselves in an awkward spot, between middle-grade and young adult fiction, but two excellent titles are set to fill that gap this summer. Tamsin Winter’s Bad Influence (Usborne) sees scholarly Amelia agree to something she immediately regrets in a bid to shake off her “loser” status. When a photo goes viral she’s labelled a bad influence, but is determined not to let one mistake define her. Winter has an enviable lightness of touch, tackling complex themes of popularity, self-esteem and social media with heart and humour in this important, empowering read.
From debut author Freja Nicole Woolf comes Never Trust a Gemini (Walker), a feelgood LGBTQ+ romantic comedy with a fresh, joyful energy. Fourteen-year-old Cat is convinced that a match with her oblivious crush Alison is aligned in the stars, until she meets dangerously cool new girl Morgan. Woolf brilliantly captures the chaos of early teen life with relatable characters and a girl gang echoing that of Louise Rennison’s Georgia Nicolson series.
