Read Me Like A Book
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- £1.99
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- £1.99
Publisher Description
'An important contribution to the YA literary canon and a welcome reminder that love is love, no matter what.' - Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author
The first YA novel from bestselling author Liz Kessler, Read Me Like A Book is a brave, honest and vital coming-out story that follows one girl's exploration of love, identity and sexuality.
Ashleigh Walker is having a difficult year. She's struggling at school, and coming home to parents who are on the verge of divorce. She knows she should be happy spending time with her boyfriend - but, for some reason, being around him just makes her worry more. It's only in her English teacher, Miss Murray, that she feels she's found a kindred spirit. Miss Murray helps Ashleigh develop her writing skills and her confidence - but what happens when boundaries begin to blur? What will the repercussions be for Ashleigh? And how will she navigate her own sexuality?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
British teenager Ash Walker is meandering through life. She isn't terribly interested in school, hasn't applied to college, has a boyfriend she's not excited about, and is watching her parents' marriage collapse. Then a young, passionate teacher takes over Ash's English class and makes her brain and heart come alive. Not only does Miss Murray see Ash's hidden smarts, she also turns out to be gay, which helps Ash begin to realize that she is, too. Kessler (the Emily Windsnap series) wrote this novel, her first for teens, more than a decade ago and shelved it, in part because of a British law that forbid the promotion of homosexuality in schools. With the passage of time, the most eye-raising aspect is that in Miss Murray's efforts to mentor Ash, she inadvertently encourages her crush. While the coming-out story line may be familiar, the idea that you have to know who you are in order to figure out where you want to go is a powerful one for readers examining their own identities. Ages 14 up.