Alex in Wonderland by Simon James Green

2019

Alex is gay and never been kissed.  He lives with his dad and his dad’s new girlfriend, Kendra, a property developer with exacting domestic standards.  

After a freaky accident, Alex manages to secure a job at the run-down amusement arcade, Wonderland. But the establishment is in trouble; owner Maggie keeps getting final demands for unpaid bills and the bailiffs actually turn up in one scene. There also seems to be some sabotage going on; Maggie also keeps getting threatening letters.

Who is behind it all? A rival from the pier? A local property developer? Could it even be Kendra? Is it an insider? Just as Alex is beginning to get on really well with his new found friends and even embarking on a relationship with Ben, he comes under suspicion as being the insider.  Kendra, though, gives him the proof that he isn’t involved and he manages to persuade his friends that he is innocent.

Alex and his friends try to help Maggie.  They work on relaunching the arcade. However, with the press present at the reopening a fire alarm goes off and the place burns to the ground. They also discover that the doors are locked in the mirror maze and they have to rescue people from inside.

Maggie had been behind with her insurance payments.  However, the council agree to buy the land; she is able to pay off all of her debts and move to Ibiza.  Alex and Ben are back on. Kendra and his dad take a break. Life looks promising again.     

We never do find out, however, who was behind the sabotage.        

There is a lot of humour in the book. The paperback is 387 pages.  

Find your copy here 

Note, this is an affiliate link and a small portion of what you pay, at no extra cost to you,  may go to Bridge House publishing.  

Gloves Off by Louise Reid

2019

Lily and her mother are overweight, her mother possibly morbidly so.  Lily totally lacks confidence at school.  She has no friends and she is bullied.  Then Dad intervenes. He puts Lily on a fitness regime and then introduces her to a gym where she learns to box.    

Lilly becomes fitter and gains more confidence. She finds some friends. Rosie becomes a particularly close friend and they briefly start a lesbian relationship.  But Lily has to fight Rosie in the ring and she wins, but injures her friend. Their friendship cools a little. 

Lily stops going to the gym for a while but does return eventually.  Her friendship with Rosie continues but is not as intense. 

Meanwhile Mum begins to take a few steps to get her own body under control.  

We are left with hope at the end:  Lily seems set to continue with her boxing and her new friendships.  Mum is taking steps to deal with her own problems.  

The whole novel is written in verse.  This makes it quite a quick read but the emotional intensity remains intact.  The first person narrative helps us to feel close to Lily. Mum (Bernadette) also has a few interjections and again uses a first person narrative. 

The novel is 308 pages long in hard back. It uses as simple font for Lily and an adult one for Bernadette.