The First Time

Jake is a shy 15-year-old whose move to a new school gives him the opportunity to re-invent his image as Mr Cool. He does this with a vengeance and there's plenty of convincing action and dialogue to prove it! Ella is his downfall. He cares about her but treats her badly and she rejects him only to return to him at the end of the book. A happy ending? No, Jake realises he can still behave badly and get what he wants. The air of worldly-wise cynicism from an inexperienced central character is often well-observed and amusing. However, the danger is that readers may interpret the story as a modern morality tale - it's acceptable to operate double standards in relationships if you can get away with it.