Dad lives with his girlfriend, Nikki on the other side of the park. Mum hates Nikki, and Chloe and I pretend to, for Mum's sake.
Anna and her sister live in a complicated world - one that will sound very familiar to a lot of girls. But Anna and her sister are twins, which makes it even more complex. 'Coping with Chloe' is a beautifully drawn picture of a young girl trying to work out the usual problems of the pressures of school and of friendships, battles and romances in the playground. There is a desperate need for family and loved ones to get along, and as we all know, they just won't. There are school projects to rescue from cheating colleagues, there are bullies and fragile friends, and the anxieties and excitements of swimming lessons with a boy who's becoming... important but...
It's a terrible thing when romance cuts across the bonds of friendship, worse when it threatens to divide sisters - but just think how tricky that divide would be if your rival was living in your own body....
They both stopped and of course I had to stop with them, though I wished I could take off, fly over the trees, and be a hundred miles away. Can you imagine anything worse than to FEEL your twin sister kissing the boy you love?
There are many theories, many stories and many writings about the mysteries of twins but I don't think I've ever read one quite so gripping as 'Coping with Chloe'. You'll find your mind and your heart working overtime, with Anna all the way, as she struggles to keep up with events, ahead of the danger, and in touch with her own self.
A well-crafted, sympathetically written thriller which tries out some extraordinary - but quite believable - ideas about the kinds of things that can go on in human heads. It says 11+ on the cover. Me, I'm 50, which counts as 11+, I guess.
Don't worry how old you are, if you're interested in humans, you'll enjoy this book.
Coping with Chloe by Rosalie Warren, Published by Phoenix Yard ISBN 978-1-907912-02-3 ?6.99
'Coping with Chloe is Rosalie Warren's third novel. The others are 'Charity's Child', an exploration of the complex issues faced by teenage girls in a less-than-perfect world and 'Low Tide, Lunan Bay', a romance for the internet age. I for one am looking forward to number four!
Kay Green is the editor of Circaidy Gregory Press - http://www.circaidygregory.co.uk/ The latest title is 'Herm's Secret', a fantasy adventure by chart-topping author for young readers, Kate O'Hearn.
Kay is also administrator of Earlyworks Press which is a club for the promotion of independent writers and illustrators, where writers get together for workshopping and discussion, and to organise book fairs and other activities. The website, http://www.earlyworkspress.co.uk/ carries a competitions page where cash prizes and publication opportunities for new authors are always on offer.
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