The Dad Dilemma

The cheerful, modern cover of this book perfectly anticipates its contents – a contemporary story about 13-year-old Millie whose divorced father begins a new and serious relationship which threatens her emotional stability. Add to this the familiar dilemma of whether a childhood male friend can safely metamorphose into a boyfriend and a gaggle of female friends who conform charmingly to a variety of stereotypes and a teenage market is assured. The occasional woodenness of the narrative, generated by overuse of adjectives – and proof editing which has allowed rather too many grammatical errors to slip through – is countered by an intimate knowledge of teenage life and an ability to write with refreshing honesty and directness.