Friends for Life (edição 2015)

The lives of three teenagers are turned around when they encounter Jessica's ghost.
You might say that this book is about unhappy young lives, bullying, depression and worse. It is all that, but more importantly it is about understanding, friendship and hope. Andrew Norriss has used his considerable skill to great effect, layering plot and characters perfectly.
This is also a great read. I was gripped from the first page and couldn't put it down.
Thoroughly recommend. ( )

Unbelievably amazing. If someone asked me if a middle grade book could address mental illness, suicide and bullying as successfully and as profoundly as this book, I would be doubtful. However, this book does it in droves. ( )

Also published as Jessica's Ghost.
This is a Middle School novel, touching on several subjects that would be worth raising for discussion. These include bullying, feelings of insecurity, depression, suicide and life after death. Having said that, it's quite lighthearted in its approach and even amusing in parts.

The main character is Francis, who has a rather unusual hobby. Whilst this hobby is often a career move for some adult men, it opens Francis up to a degree of ridicule that makes his school days uncomfortable. The other main character, Jessica, isn't really alive at all; she's a ghost, which is presumably quite believable when you're in Middle School. Jessica helps Francis to gain confidence, which he then passes on, helping other students in a similar position.

Whilst tackling awkward subjects, this book is also upbeat and highly readable, with a positive message.
I was listening to an audiobook version, well read by Alison Larkin. ( )

This is a legitimately funny book. I say that right off the bat because while many books claim to be funny, few actually are. I ended up reading this book in public (it just happened to on my ereader while I was stuck waiting for quite awhile) and there were several times that I got side-eyed by those around me for randomly laughing every few minutes. It's tough to identify an audience for this one. The characters are all in high school and while it does touch on some darker themes, there's a definite immaturity laced throughout. So I think I'd classify it as a middle school book. ( )