Boywatching: it's not just a hobby, it's a science

Time is fast approaching for the annual school dance with the local boys’ school, St Thomas’s.  Chloe and her three friends, Sam, Amy and Gemma are determined that they will not go through the humiliation of last year and decide to keep a notebook with comment about boys they like.  They create a points system to judge the boys by.  Mixed in with this is home life (often difficult) and school, where they are the constant target for Maggie the ‘Queen Bee’ who enjoys making fun and bullying them.  How they cope with all of this and how they get on at the school ‘Snog Fest’ forms the plot of the book.

A truly funny story about the importance of friends and family, told from the point of view of the main character Chloe.   The story follows the ups and downs of the heroines’ lives as they try and survive life in year 9.  There is the maths teacher from hell (or so it feels) and the nail-biting wait to see what role Chloe will get in the school play.  These events are interspersed with the fake tan episode and the total disaster that constitutes leaving hair dye on for too long.  It really does feel like the diary of a normal teenage girl and her friends.  There is all the angst that young people feel when they are trying to keep up with the crowd, not to mention trying to be noticed by the boy of their dreams.  Whilst this is about 13/14 year olds, it is suitable for younger students as it does not contain issues with language or sex.  A great and enjoyable read that will be leapt on by hordes of young girls who will relate to the characters and their lives.