Ayrton was stolen from his mum as a baby. He was returned safely, but the brief incident left a mark that has lasted long after the story faded from local news headlines. It made his mum chronically overprotective and his own lack of independence has made him an anxious, isolated boy who “wouldn’t smash his way out of a Solero wrapper”.
Stanley and his twin brother, Oliver, have a grandma they are not allowed to contact — or even discuss. They call her FG: the “Forbidden Grandma”. Their mum severed all contact with her when they were babies and her identity remains a mystery.
Stanley is desperate to find her. “We’ve got the same DNA. We’re family.” “Nah,” says his twin brother. “Being related and being family are different things.” His brother believes their other grandma is the only one they need, but Stanley is unconvinced.
“Why can’t we be allowed to make up our own minds?”
Finally, rebellious Senna and her mum are struggling to find a place to live. Ari was still a schoolgirl herself when she gave birth to Senna and, although she’s trying her best, they drift from one insecure home to another until they find a secretive landlady with an art studio and purple hair who is rumoured to be the Banksy-like artist known as Vixen.
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The three teenagers are all connected by one secret. A few chance encounters force them to question the official family histories delivered by the adults round them and they start sleuthing to fill in the blanks. What do they find? Unresolved feuds, surprises and “secrets hiding in the darkness” that leave sweet, sensitive Ayrton facing a decision that will have consequences for all their families.
This story is an outlier in many ways. First, it is led by two 13-year-old boys — hurrah! It’s strange that boys this age are so underserved when it comes to meaty, contemporary stories reflecting their normal lives, especially when it’s a time when many lose interest in reading. This one respects their emotional intelligence.
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Second, I imagine teachers will be delighted to find a classroom-friendly story for younger teenagers who may not want, or be ready for, the dark fantasy that dominates the young adult category.
Patrice Lawrence, who won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize for older readers for her gritty urban drama Orangeboy, is good at depicting family relationships that feel real. The “Forbidden Grandma” is great territory to explore — they tend not to loom as large in literature as they do in life.
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The biggest question is why two separate characters are named after the Brazilian F1 driver? I still have absolutely no idea.
People Like Stars (9+) by Patrice Lawrence (Scholastic £7.99 pp304). To order a copy go to timesbookshop.co.uk or call 020 3176 2935. Free UK standard P&P on online orders over £25. Special discount available for Times+ members
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