Seven Days

Rebeka Shaid’s debut young adult novel, Seven Days, is an authentically diverse and pacy story set in Bristol, featuring spirited teenage characters grappling with a wide range of modern and timeless challenges. Set over seven days and told each day with alternating voices, the story revolves around universal themes of love, loss, family, friendship and resilience, which will really resonate with young adult audiences.

Seven Days is a heartwarming YA contemporary novel that follows the journey of Noori and Aamir from the point that they meet on a bench when they are both navigating the complexities of life after experiencing profound loss.  The story tracks the course of their relationship as it develops from a chance meeting into a friendship and then into bigger feelings, through loss and towards acceptance and love.

The book beautifully captures the essence of finding first love amidst adversity and will resonate with readers through its poignant portrayal of human emotions and relationships. It takes the reader on a typical love story journey with gentleness and humour and contains all the necessary emotional elements of the genre as well as additional poetry and other classic love story references. Shaid’s ability to weave a narrative that is refreshing and yet balances these traditional components results in a book full of warmth, depth, and emotional intensity.

With its contemporary setting, authentic well-developed characters, and poignant themes, this is a smart and captivating YA novel that will resonate with the age group through its heartfelt storytelling and authentic portrayal of human experience.