One of our YA Books of the Year 2016.
March 2016 NewGen Book of the Month.
Frances’ life has been mapped out since forever. She’s set on reading English Literature at Cambridge and getting a good job. That’s the path she believes will lead to a happy life. But academic success isn’t all there is to Frances. She also has a secret side that loves wearing burger-print jumpers and creating fan-art for cult YouTube podcast, Universe City, although that remains firmly under wraps until she befriends Aled. Shy, clever Aled turns out to be the creator of Universe City. He loves her art, loves her style and, most importantly, he makes Frances “feel like I’d never had a real friend before”. Their friendship flourishes until Aled is outed as the podcast’s creator. Thinking Frances has betrayed him, Aled cuts all contact with her when he leaves for university. Then, while devastated at losing her best friend, the rest of Frances’ life also starts to unravel.
“Nothing good comes out of lying to people,” Frances remarks, and that’s one of the big themes of this big-hearted novel: being brave enough to face up to the truth, not least the realisation that sometimes the path you’ve mapped out for yourself isn't the right one. Frances and Aled’s friendship is a truly beautiful thing, and this is a seriously smart piece of contemporary YA. ~ Joanne Owen
| Primary Genre | Young Adult Fiction |
| Other Genres: | |
| Recommendations: |
