Girl, 16: Pants On Fire

This is the sequel to Girl,15: Charming but Insane and Girl, Nearly 16: Absolute Torture and traces the erratic but entertaining relationship between Josie and Fred. They have spent an idyllic summer holiday together which makes Fred’s pronouncement that he is not sure he wants to continue going out with Jess an unwelcome and unexpected event. They separate and a series of ghastly misunderstandings and burlesque cameos serve to keep them apart – and make the reinstatement of their relationship at the end of the book all the more welcome.

This is no Georgia Nicholson clone – though readers of that series will relish this one. There are the same hallmarks of quality – endearing and credible characters, humorous but telling explorations of teenage preoccupations and laugh out loud wit. Jess’s Gran is ancient but far from enfeebled, addicted to TV murder, her father amicably absent and contentedly gay, Jess’s temporary form teacher likely to drink the milk of she-werewolves and sleep in a coffin, and her mother firmly in the grip of a passion for the Japanese toyboy she is teaching English. The scope for humour here is richly explored but young readers will find much to empathise with and be reassured by, too.

Would it be too much to hope for a fourth book to add to this splendid series?