Just Peachy by Jean Ure
| Just Peachy by Jean Ure | |
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| Category: Confident Readers | |
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Reviewer: Sue Magee
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| Summary: A great story for the tween girl who is just beginning to wonder who she is. It's Jean Ure - so you know it will be good. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 240 | Date: April 2013 |
| Publisher: Harper Collins Children's Books | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-0007515684 | |
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It's always been said that it's difficult being the middle child in a family and Peaches McBride regularly feels as though she doesn't belong. Her elder brother, Coop and sister, Charlie are clever and outgoing - and after Peachy came the twins, Flora and Fergus who are full of each other and full of just being them. Add to this the fact that her father is a radio presenter, renowned for his abrasive personality and you might come to the conclusion that the best description of the McBride family is LOUD - well, except for Peachy. She's quiet, unassuming - and not entirely certain about who she is or what she wants. She does make a stand though - she really doesn't want to go to Summerfield - the school her father went to and where Coop and Charlie are in the limelight, She wants to go to a school where no one knows who she is.
I love Jean Ure. She writes the stories which older tween girls love because they touch on their lives and their concerns. Most girls in the nine-plus age group will be wondering who they are as opposed to what their families stand for. They'll be familiar with the hierarchy at school which is often based on anything but friendship. Peachy is lucky. On the first day at her new school she meets Millie, a scholarship girl who has no problems with telling everyone that her Dad's on the buses and her Mum is a school dinner lady and they become friends - well, as friendly as you can be when Peachy's unwilling to say anything about her family.
The real pleasure of this book is watching Peachy grow into herself - becoming more confident about her decisions (which isn't easy when you're faced with the sheer volume of the McBride family en masse) and realising what she wants to do with her life. There are gentle messages about what's not a good plan and some thought-provoking points about what might sound clever but doesn't actually go down well with people. There's nothing preachy though - it's just a good story which plants a seed in the mind and allows the reader to decide whether or not it should flower.
I read the book in one sitting. It's a good book, you see - and the fact that I'm many times the age of the target readership didn't matter at all. Jean Ure produces characters you can believe in and care about - and you're not going to put the book down until you find out what happens to them. I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
If this type of book appeals to you and you've read everything by Jean Ure then have a look at Cathy Cassidy.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Just Peachy by Jean Ure at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
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