Rose, Interrupted

'Enthralling; resonant; unusual and thought-provoking' The Guardian 'Lawrence is a fine writer' TheTimes 'A vibrant; accomplished storyteller' The Observer 'A truly brilliant book' Malorie Blackman on Orangeboy Being a teenager is hard enough; but it's even harder in a world you've never known ... Eighteen months ago; 17-year-old Rose and 13-year-old Rudder escaped a strict religious sect with their mum. They are still trying to make sense of the world outside - no more rules about clothes and books; films and music; no more technology bans. But also no more friendship with the people they've known all their lives; no community and no certainty. It doesn't help that their mum has to work all hours to pay rent on their cramped; smelly; one-bed flat above a kebab shop in Hackney. While Rudder gorges on once-taboo Harry Potters and dances to Simon and Garfunkel and show tunes; Rose swaps the ankle skirts and uncut hair of the Woodford Pilgrims for Japanese-cute fairy dress and her new boyfriend; Kye. Kye; who she wants with all her being. But there's loads of scary stuff about their new life that Rose and Rudder have no idea how to handle - it's normal for girls to let their boyfriends take naked pictures of them; right? When Rudder accidently sets a devastating chain of events into action; Rose must decide whether to sacrifice everything and go back to the life she hates; in order to save the people she loves. A story about coming of age; slap-bang in the middle of a strange new world.