Love Ya Babe by Chris Higgins - Revision history

Sue at 11:38, 24 September 2020

2020-09-24T11:38:09Z

Jill at 17:11, 14 April 2018

2018-04-14T17:11:35Z

Sue at 15:39, 2 January 2015

2015-01-02T15:39:25Z

Keith at 21:22, 4 February 2010

2010-02-04T21:22:59Z

Keith: 1 revision

2009-10-24T17:55:12Z

1 revision

Jill at 17:22, 28 January 2009

2009-01-28T17:22:04Z

New review

{{infobox
|title=Love Ya Babe
|author=Chris Higgins
|reviewer=Jill Murphy
|genre=Teens
|summary=Another super kitchen sink drama from Chris Higgins, dealing with unexpected new babies in the family, post-natal depression, and unemployment. It has a light touch and a wise approach.
|rating=4
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|format=Paperback
|pages=304
|publisher=Hodder
|date=January 2009
|isbn=0340970758
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0340970758</amazonuk>
|amazonus=<amazonus>0340970758</amazonus>
}}

Gabby's mother is ''outrageous''. She's older than most mothers; tubby, frumpy, over-demonstrative, and appears at all the worst moments, usually wearing a pair of garish wellington boots. You can only imagine the embarrassment.

And if that weren't enough for a young girl to carry on her shoulders, then what about Gabby's father? He's suddenly become tremendously grumpy, shouts all the time, and drinks rather too much wine. What about her brother Felix, who's getting bullied at school because he prefers women's clothes to his own? Or littlest brother Freddie, who's spoiled and petulant and who throws tantrums at every opportunity? Or Gemma and her gang at school, who clearly have it in for Gabby? Or Si, the school heartthrob, who's threatening to com between Gabby and her best friend, Angie?

You can see, life's just not smooth for the poor girl, is it? So when Gabby's mother suddenly announces that she's pregnant - at forty-six, for heaven's sakes! - it's the straw that broke the camel's back...

Chris Higgins gives her loyal audience another tremendously enjoyable read in ''Love Ya Babe''. She has a light touch and an easy style that absorbs you right from the very start. And there's a vein of humour running through each of her kitchen sink dramas that never fails to bring a smile to this mother's face. Things are going awfully wrong in Gabby's family, but of course she's a self-centred adolescent and she's not quite the put-upon person she thinks she is.

Immersed in her own - typically teenage - victimhood, she doesn't lift a finger to help her overworked and well-meaning mother until it's almost too late. She doesn't give a thought to ''why'' her erstwhile laid-back father has suddenly become so touchy until after his crisis too has passed. On the other hand, she is having a rotten time too, and she's good at heart, and you have lots of sympathy for her.

The book tackles bullying, romantic rivalry, loyalty in friendship, post-natal depression, and unemployment as well as unexpected new babies in the family so there's a lot to think about, but there's not an ounce of preachiness about it. Higgins fans will enjoy it as much as they expect to.

Recommended for all girls aged from about eleven or twelve to fifteen.

My thanks to the nice people at Hodder for sending the book.

They might also enjoy [[My So-called Life: The Tragically Normal Diary of Rachel Riley by Joanna Nadin]].

{{amazontext|amazon=0340970758}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=6306229}}

{{commenthead}}

[[Category:Confident Readers]]

@@ Line 34: / Line 34: @@
 My thanks to the nice people at Hodder for sending the book.
-They might also enjoy [[My So-called Life: The Tragically Normal Diary of Rachel Riley by Joanna Nadin]].
+They might also enjoy [[My So-called Life: The Tragically Normal Diary of Rachel Riley by Joanna Nadin]].  Older readers will appreciate [[The Place Where Love Should Be by Elizabeth Ellis]].
 {{amazontext|amazon=0340970758}}

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{infobox
+{{infobox2
 |title=Love Ya Babe
 |author=Chris Higgins
@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 |date=January 2009
 |isbn=0340970758
-|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0340970758</amazonuk>
+|aznuk=0340970758
-|amazonus=<amazonus>0340970758</amazonus>
+|aznus=0340970758
 |website=http://www.chrishigginsthatsme.com/
 }}

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 |buy=Yes
 |borrow=Yes
 |pages=304
 |publisher=Hodder
@@ Line 36: / Line 35: @@
 They might also enjoy [[My So-called Life: The Tragically Normal Diary of Rachel Riley by Joanna Nadin]].
-{{amazontext|amazon=0340970758}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=6306229}}
+{{amazontext|amazon=0340970758}}
 {{commenthead}}
 [[Category:Confident Readers]]

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