Thank you so much for letting me review this book!

I absolutely enjoyed learning about Scarlet and her family. At first I thought that her mum and dad breaking things off would be a good thing but then learning that her mum was having an affair with someone else I felt really sorry for Scarlet's dad. I understood why the mum did it but she didn't realise how much of an impact it would have on Scarlet and her life.

Scarlet mainly focused on all of the negative things that had come out of her parents separating but this highlights how some children may feel during this transition. Scarlet felt as if her whole world had come tumbling down and was trying to come to terms with it in the only way she knew.

Scarlet is quite a relatable character for young children as she goes through some of the same issues that most children have. This book can help be used to help children cope with the transition of going from having 2 parents who live together to having one.

I laughed at some point of this book as some of it was really funny but there are times where Scarlet could have been a bit better behaved and dealt with things differently than what she did. But overall, I really really enjoyed this book.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I've always liked Anne Fine's writing and this is recognisable as hers. I think it's great that a new generation of pre-teens and teens will be introduced to her.

This book was brilliant for young people navigating through divorce, separation and blended families. It takes us through Scarlet's various emotions from anger, to upset, to seeking revenge, to acceptance. We also see Scarlet grow and learn to look at the world from different perspectives. A great read.

I knew I had to read a book by Anne Fine. I loved Flour Babies as a child and so I wanted to revisit my favourite childhood author. Unfortunately this one just wasn’t for me I felt it dragged on and I just couldn’t get into it at all. Perhaps I’m just too old to enjoy these types of books now which is a shame.

Shades of Scarlet is different from a lot of the books I've read. It gives the perspective of a young girl named Scarlet, who's parents have separated. Anne Fine masterfully depicts Scarlet's anguish, anger and confusion throughout the book as she tries to cope with the changes At certain points, I felt the story was slowed down and Scarlet became rather unlikeable, but as the story progressed, I started enjoying her as a protagonist. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book.

I absolutely loved this book. Anne Fine manages to capture the teenage psychology so well that as an adult I cringed at every turn but know that I would have identified strongly with Scarlet when I was a similar age. So often I read YA books where teenagers and their actions/thoughts are depicted in a rose-tinted way but this doesn't happen here. The writing is never patronising and I genuinely couldn't put this book down.

An extremely well-written, fun and humorous book that will definitely appeal to teen readers. Told through the eyes of Scarlet as she negotiates her new world after her parents split.
I've rated it 5* for these reasons, although I wouldn't say it's a book that should be in general adult fiction - it definitely read YA to me. I didn't read the entire story for this reason, but can't fault the quality of the writing.

When I saw this book was by Anne Fine, I didn't even read any further before clicking. Flour Babies, Bill's New Frock and Madame Doubtfire were all well-loved staples of my childhood - I didn't even realise she was still writing!

Scarlet's mum has left her dad, taking Scarlet to live with her in an unfamiliar new house. As far as Scarlet is concerned, her mum is just being selfish. Even worse, she has a new boyfriend - and Scarlet has to find out from rumours at school! Torn between two houses and two parents, Scarlet has to find her way in this strange new life.

Sure, it's not the most original premise in the world, but not every book needs to be. The writing is engaging, the book is easy to read, and most importantly Scarlet sounds like a young teenager. There's nothing worse than reading a middle grade or young adult book where the narrator sounds like an adult the whole time. I think a lot of young people will relate to Scarlet, and I'd be happy to recommend the book to my students.

Anne Fine is an incredibly accomplished writer whose works have defined many a British childhood (I mean, who hasn’t heard of Bill’s New Frock, Diary of a Killer Cat or Madam Doubtfire).

So, I was excited at the opportunity to read her new book Shades of Scarlet. The book follows a teenage girl called Scarlet, who’s trying to navigate the separation of her parents and her feelings surrounding it while having to live in a new house, contend with the idea of her mum now dating and trying not the pick “sides”.

Anne does an incredible job of describing Scarlet’s emotions (Resentment,Anger and Frustration) whilst also managing to depict a meaningful look at the struggles both adults and children can face in tough situations without it becoming bleak.

A book both young and old will enjoy, with a message that can inspire discussion around this topic. Also, a huge thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book.

I started reading Anne Fine’s books with my children and they were great favourites. I was then introduced to her adult fiction through “Telling Liddy’ which I absolutely loved, so I was very excited to read a copy of Shades of Scarlet. This is the story of Scarlet, an only child whose parents have just split up. At the start of the story, Scarlet has been ‘forced’ to leave the family home to live in rented accommodation with her Mother. Scarlet goes through many emotions during the course of the book: frustration; anger; sadness; resentment; feelings of displacement. Discovering her Mother has a new man, Scarlet is uncertain about her future and how she will fit in with her parents’ plans. I absolutely loved this book. Fine has a way of diving into the psyche of every character she depicts, however young or old. I am not a teenager, but Scarlet honed into memories of my teenage years and resentments about adult decision making. There is such a strong sense of Scarlet’s conflict about siding with one or other of her parents. Her anger switches between the two of them as does apportioning the blame for the situation they find themselves in. All the characters are beautifully drawn including her group of friends. Fine has such a lightness of touch as she presents a Mother struggling to negotiate a new life for herself whilst balancing the needs of her teenager; a young boy recovering from an accident watching lights flickering on his wall instead of going out with his friends..I think that her biggest achievement in this book is in conveying the perspective of all the generations involved. It is beautifully done. And it made me really laugh - often! She just really gets it. This is a book which will be enjoyed by adults and children alike. With thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this wonderful book.

1/5 stars

Unfortunately this book didn't capture my interest at all.

Shades of Scarlet is basically just your average contemporary novel with nothing new or exciting to it. I've read and heard about a decent selection of books involving parents separating and this was basically a carbon copy of all those books. After about the fifty page mark, I just got really bored and started skimming the book. Nothing captured me about the book, not the writing style, and not the characters. They all felt really dull and recycled.

Contemporary isn't my genre, so perhaps take my review with a pinch of salt because these sorts of books aren't things I tend to gravitate towards, but this wasn't something I liked and I didn't find that it was memorable in any way. There are contemporaries I do enjoy, but this just wasn't it. You may like it if you enjoy these sorts of books, but it wasn't for me unfortunately. I wouldn't say there was anything particularly wrong with this book, it just wasn't for me.