SHORTLISTED FOR THE LINCOLNSHIRE YOUNG PEOPLE’S BOOK AWARD 2010

LONGLISTED FOR THE WATERSTONE’S CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD 2009

“Addictive. Original. True.” Joanna Nadin, author of My So-Called Life

“Difficult issues treated with intelligence and gentle humour, and complex, lovely, real characters.” Jaclyn Moriarty, author of Feeling Sorry for Celia

“Girl Aloud has a shocking pink cover with lots of sparkle but I should know by now not to judge a book by its cover. This is a great story about Kass Kennedy whose father is desperate to have her perform on X Factor in front of Simon Cowell, despite the fact that she can’t sing, doesn’t want to do it and is terrified at the thought. She also has a brother who is fast becoming a local crim and a mother who doesn’t ever seem to be in the moment. To add to the mix there is a rather handsome masculine Cass hanging around who definitely wants to get to know her better.

Although this novel has the wonderful storyline of how Kass and her two friends Izzy and Char deal with the very teenage issues of boys and friendships, it is essentially the story of Kass’s attempt to maintain harmony in a home with a parent with a mental illness. It is a funny, clever and beautifully written book that can also elicit much sympathy for Kass. I would highly recommend it to older readers.” Children’s Book Council of Australia

“…the lightness of touch in the writing means that you’ll be sniggering one minute and swallowing hard with sadness the next.” Tamsyn Murray, author of My So-Called Afterlife

“Emily Gale’s characters are very real, and yet the twists in the plot always surprise.” Keren David, author of When I Was Joe.

“…a wonderfully-observed, realistic and moving mix of relationship drama and gentle comedy.” Teen book review site Chicklish.

“This is clever and funny, but also poignant at the same time. You may go from laughing to tears in the turn of a couple of pages in this book.” Soteria review

“I had real trouble putting this book down because I wanted to see how Kass would deal with all her problems and the mounting pressure as The X Factor drew nearer.” Blogger Kate Pinn Another Book Blog Whore review

“I recommend this book to teenage girls looking for a funny, smart and easy read – if you’re a fan of Jacqueline Wilson’s books, I think you’ll love this one.” Blogger and author of Girl Saves Boy, Steph Bowe Hey, Teenager of the Year review

“Emily Gale deals with some very difficult and complex topics with a sparkling mix of wit, humour, and intelligence.” Bookseller who blogs at Open To Persuasion.

For some thoughts on what inspired me to write Girl, Aloud have a look at YA author Simmone Howell’s blog series, Anatomy of a Novel.

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Want to read more chick-lit for teens? Check out this list.

Want to read Girl, Aloud in German? It’s called Willkommen In Meinen Leben (Welcome To My Life) translated by Birgit Niehaus and published by Chicken House Germany. Here’s a YouTube review of it: