Raz Beri is a riveting read - I could not put it down. Billy and his new friend Mia both use wheelchairs and must navigate a world of prejudice and bullying (in person and online). While this book was uncomfortable to read due to the vocabulary used to describe people with disabilities it is thought-provoking, and the reader will question the words, prejudice and negative attitudes that disabled people face. The story line of a famous footballing uncle who visits the school will interest many younger readers. I am sure there will be many valuable discussion points raised from reading Billy's journey.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC which was received in exchange for an honest review.

A fabulous book with lots of themes and discussion points. The two main characters, both with cerebral palsy and in wheelchairs, have led similar but different lives so far and have different experiences and attitudes towards their life currently. Billy learns strength of character and how to fight back without fighting.
Billy and Mia are important, much needed representations in MG fiction and their story will inspire others, not just to stand up for themselves but also in how to treat everyone else.

Billy has celebral palsy and is in a wheelchair. While in primary school life wasn’t too bad, now he is at secondary school the other children are more malicious, especially so his former best friend and the names he has levelled against him are inhumane and cruel. Billy tries to keep a low profile in everything he does in order to avoid confrontation. Online however, he is a different person as not everyone knows his circumstances and his brain is just as sharp as others in his online community.
When new student Mia arrives in school, she challenges this status quo – from her own wheelchair. But some adults hold equally as nasty attitudes.
An easily accessible book but, because of the language, for secondary students, it should be required reading for all students to raise questions about how they treat those with disabilities.

This is a brilliant story about a boy with a disability who loves football. Unfortunately, the other children at school don't see him as anything more than a boy in a wheelchair. That is, until Mia arrives at school. She too is in a wheelchair, but makes Billy challenge himself and his beliefs. When professional footballers visit the school, Billy hopes he will be able to prove himself at last. That doesn't happen and it seems that things have got worse. With the help of online friends he's never met face to face, Billy makes a huge stand and causes people to rethink their attitudes to disabilities and Billy. There were happy, poignant and funny parts. Billy could be anyone with a disability, or anyone with anything that makes them stand out. This is a really important book for people to read to ask them to think about their attitudes to disability.

Raz Beri is the online persona of Billy. It comes from Cockney rhyming slang: raspberry ripple = cripple. Billy has cerebral palsy and is treated pretty badly at school, by former friend, Rio and his mates. Out of school, the online communities Billy is part of provide an escape from the bullies and allow him to be himself. When a new girl - a wheelchair user like Billy -  joins the class, everyone is excited to learn that not only is her uncle a famous footballer, he is coming to visit the class in school. Billy can't wait but when the big day arrives, things don't go to plan and Billy realises that his hero isn't what he'd hoped.

I really enjoyed this book and read it really quickly. The story is pacy and the characters are pretty realistic. There was some language in this book that means that I wouldn't have it available for children to access independently as I think it would he important to discuss this.

I was interested to learn from the author biography at the end, that I have read another, very different but similarly powerful, book by this author, based on his experiences as a social worker.