Lottie Biggs is (Not) Tragic by Hayley Long

Lottie Biggs is (Not) Tragic by Hayley Long
Buy Lottie Biggs is (Not) Tragic by Hayley Long at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Teens
Reviewer: Robert James
Summary: Fun third installement in the Lottie Biggs series which will be heartily enjoyed by readers who are hooked on her escapades. Hayley Long was kind enough to come to Bookbag Towers ad have a chat with us.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 272	Date: August 2011
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 978-0330523011
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Usual spoiler warnings for the first two books in this series, Lottie Biggs is (Not) Mad and Lottie Biggs is (Not) Desperate.

Lottie can’t understand what’s going on with the women around her. Goose has got the hots for a fellow cinema employee with a name which, spelt backwards, is rather unfortunate. Her mum has fallen for the bloke who arrested Lottie back in book one, and HIS daughter is a scary emo girl. There’s only one thing to be done… road trip! The central trio of Lottie, Goose, and Lottie’s hunky rugby playing boyfriend Gareth hightail it out of Cardiff – but can a change of scenery really solve the problems?

This is a really fun read, just like the first two books in the Lottie Biggs series. Lottie herself has become one of my very favourite YA narrators – she’s impulsive, sometimes rude, but deep down has a really kind heart, and while she’s recovering from her mental health problems, they’re always there in the background. The pictures dotted around the text also really add to the book’s quirky charm. The other main characters have all developed well over the course of the three books, and it’s interesting to see the relationship between Lottie and her mum change as Lottie has to try and realise that her mum’s ready for a new romance. Oh, and Winnie the wise chinchilla is still the coolest pet going!

I do have to say I found this a bit less structured that the first two books in the series. The original focused on Lottie’s mental health issues, while the second saw her trying to decide whether or not to lose her virginity to Gareth. This one, on the other hand, is a bit more of a collection of things happening with less of an overall plot. That certainly doesn’t make it any less enjoyable, just a bit different. Also, I’d say this is arguably more accessible to younger teens than the original one is, with a lighter subject matter. On balance, though, there’s perhaps not quite as much to recommend it to adults, whereas I thought the first had serious crossover appeal.

Overall, this is a very strong recommendation to teens looking for an enjoyable read with a really likeable narrator. I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

Further reading suggestion: For more laugh out loud teen fiction, this time focusing on boys rather than girls, Swim the Fly by Don Calame is a seriously funny book.

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You can read more book reviews or buy Lottie Biggs is (Not) Tragic by Hayley Long at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Lottie Biggs is (Not) Tragic by Hayley Long at Amazon.com.

Hayley Long was kind enough to be interviewed by Bookbag.

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