Shine Izzy Shine

Izzy’s father left when she was very young and after years alone together her mother is to marry Malcolm.  Everything is set for the wedding when on the day itself her mother has an accident and ends up in a coma.  When she wakes up she has amnesia and thinks she is only 14, and rejects both Izzy and Malcolm.

This is a book with two distinct personalities.  One is a family drama about how they rebuild their lives after the accident.  Izzy struggles with telling her friends about what is happening in her life.  They seem remarkably shallow even for 13-year-olds, and almost bully Izzy into performing at a party even though her mother is in hospital.  It feels as though all their issues can be dealt with by a group hug and everything is okay.  It feels too as though the relationships with adults are more rounded and Izzy’s concern for Malcolm and his relationship with her mother seem more important to her.

The other half of the story is a comic turn along the lines of Freaky Friday.  How do you react when your mother becomes an even more irresponsible teenager than you, starts to steal your clothes and obsesses about a has-been pop-idol?  This is the far more successful aspect of the book.  It is genuinely funny and thought provoking about youth and growing up.

Comedy is always helped by a little bathos but I am not sure whether this book has quite decided whether it is tragedy or comedy. That said it is an enjoyable read with some very funny moments.