Glow up Lara Bloom
By Dee Benson
Published by Hot Key Books

This YA read explores many of the aspects of growing up as a teenager in a modern world. Fitting in, perceptions of yourself and how others perceive you are just a few of the topics entwined in this heartfelt journey of adolescence.

Lara is a beautiful teenager, inside and out who wants to fit in. Who doesn’t? But it is her journey of self discovery that plays with your heart and mind as she tries to change things about herself to fit into society more and more.

Her football skills could be better, her afro hair could be tamed but all this is to suit her peers. Or so she thinks. She also believes it'll make her crush notice her more!

So Lara embarks on a 'glow up' mission with her friends only to realise it's her unique qualities that make her ‘her’ and that she should live to please herself and not others.

This is such an important book to show representation of all types of young women, struggling to find out who they are. It should be on all classroom “tbr piles, proving the impact of being yourself far outweighs that of trying to be a copy cat of someone else.

Joanne Bardgett - teacher of littlies, lover of Children’s literature.

#Netgallery
#DeeBenson

I rate it 4.25. This is the first of Dee Benson’s book that I’ve read because it is a debut novel. I would love to read her other work should she published more. She writes about the insecurities, trials and tribulations one go through as a teenager, with an overachiever older sibling and parents and extended family who see success reflected by having great academic achievements. The issues she raises about confidence, bullying etc is so important. The emotional high and lows, boy brought me back to my teenage years (though mine was boring..really). At some point along reading this as a 35 year old mother of 2 very young children, I thought my gosh, this Lara Bloom is selfish, however I realised and remembered that being teenager is still a lot about themselves as a child who still needs protection as well as someone who needs spaces to have independent thoughts and character to start finding their own way in the world. So actually, this book has reflected the life of teenager very well! It was a little long for me, but I’m sure the entire writing process was way longer for Dee Benson.

I think this is a must read for every teenager especially for teenage girls.

Not for me unfortunately. I just didn’t get on with it and therefore didn’t go back to it after putting it down

I just finished reading this on #NetGalley. Definitely teen & not YA, brilliant to see 14yr olds being silly. @DeeBensonauthor's debut is partly about crushes but also about girls caring for each other & learning about themselves @HotKeyBooksTeen @HotKeyBooks https://twitter.com/HotKeyBooks/status/1609837007433355264?t=aIeox_PSQxEcs87PQdCIDg&s=19

TeenLibrarian.co.uk blog to come

A quick, easy and cjute read that I read in one sitting. It is well written with an engaging storyline and well developed characters, especilly our protagonist that will be very relatable to teenage girls. I really enjoyed it.