Overview
Shelley's just turned fourteen, but her life has turned upside down. When her mother lost her last job, she also lost their home. Shelley begins writing to Ziggy, the lead singer in her favorite band, Arctic 2000. Ziggy "speaks" to her with his lyrics, so she chooses him to confide in, as she's afraid to keep a diary in case her mother reads it:a lot of what she needs to write about is her mother's drinking problem. She's elated when she receives a postcard from him in reply:from Italy no less! Inspired and encouraged, she continues her correspondence, telling Ziggy about her growing problems with her mother, as well as trouble with some girls at school. And Ziggy always answers, usually with the phrase "Hang on in there, Shelley," but sometimes with something more, just enough so she knows he's listening,and he cares.
A strong and endearing character, Shelley shines through the situations she's faced with and comes out on top.
Living in London, fourteen-year-old Shelley writes letters to a pop star which describe her life with friends and family, including her divorced alcoholic mother, and her struggles with a school bully.
Synopsis
Shelley's just turned fourteen, but her life has turned upside down. When her mother lost her last job, she also lost their home. Shelley begins writing to Ziggy, the lead singer in her favorite band, Arctic 2000. Ziggy "speaks" to her with his lyrics, so she chooses him to confide in, as she's afraid to keep a diary in case her mother reads it:a lot of what she needs to write about is her mother's drinking problem. She's elated when she receives a postcard from him in reply:from Italy no less! Inspired and encouraged, she continues her correspondence, telling Ziggy about her growing problems with her mother, as well as trouble with some girls at school. And Ziggy always answers, usually with the phrase "Hang on in there, Shelley," but sometimes with something more, just enough so she knows he's listening,and he cares.
A strong and endearing character, Shelley shines through the situations she's faced with and comes out on top.
Publishers Weekly
Inspired by a magazine interview that quotes pop idol Ziggy as saying that "you must be honest with yourself and at least one person you really trust," a 14-year-old Londoner decides to write directly to him. Shelley's journal-like letters describe her life, including her struggles with her alcoholic, divorced mother. In return, Ziggy sends her short, inspiring postcards and, ultimately, a longer letter. First-novelist Saksena creates a likable and realistic narrator, but puts Shelley in extreme situations that undermine the plot's believability. At the start, Shelley has just moved with her mother and eight-year-old brother, Jake, into a flat (her mother couldn't pay the mortgage on their house after losing her job), and is about to start a new school. Shelley looks after Jake as her mother loses jobs, stays out all night and even gets imprisoned on a charge of "grievous bodily harm." Readers may have a hard time understanding why the kids stay with her instead of moving in with their supportive father, aunt or grandmother, especially with the horrendous things their mother says to Shelley (" `You little bitch,' she spat, `You've even turned my little boy against his mother' "). It also seems bizarre when Shelley's ongoing feud with class bully Janice results in a hearing in which secret surveillance tapes are revealed. Unfortunately, Shelley's authentic voice gets buried beneath all the plotting, and there isn't a true resolution with her mother, despite the upbeat ending. Ages 10-up. (June) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly
Inspired by a magazine interview that quotes pop idol Ziggy as saying that "you must be honest with yourself and at least one person you really trust," a 14-year-old Londoner decides to write directly to him. Shelley's journal-like letters describe her life, including her struggles with her alcoholic, divorced mother. In return, Ziggy sends her short, inspiring postcards and, ultimately, a longer letter. First-novelist Saksena creates a likable and realistic narrator, but puts Shelley in extreme situations that undermine the plot's believability. At the start, Shelley has just moved with her mother and eight-year-old brother, Jake, into a flat (her mother couldn't pay the mortgage on their house after losing her job), and is about to start a new school. Shelley looks after Jake as her mother loses jobs, stays out all night and even gets imprisoned on a charge of "grievous bodily harm." Readers may have a hard time understanding why the kids stay with her instead of moving in with their supportive father, aunt or grandmother, especially with the horrendous things their mother says to Shelley (" `You little bitch,' she spat, `You've even turned my little boy against his mother' "). It also seems bizarre when Shelley's ongoing feud with class bully Janice results in a hearing in which secret surveillance tapes are revealed. Unfortunately, Shelley's authentic voice gets buried beneath all the plotting, and there isn't a true resolution with her mother, despite the upbeat ending. Ages 10-up. (June) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.From The Critics
Fourteen-year-old Shelley lives with her mother, known as mom, and her eight-year-old brother Jake, in a flat in south London. There, she writes religiously in her diary about her life and her fascination with the hit pop group, Artic 2000. What she admires most about her rock group is the lead singer, Ziggy, and "the honesty that he portrays of himself" in the many fan magazines that she reads. Impressed, she decides to write him for advice, and to her amazement, she receives a postcard reply—from Italy, of all places. Elated, Shelley corresponds regularly, telling Ziggy about her daily trials and triumphs, and to her delight, Ziggy responds—usually with the telling phrase "Hang in there, Shelley." Gradually, Shelley's fascination with her favorite rock star turns to hesitancy and doubt, as she begins to wonder if Ziggy is really reading her letters. Soon, though, reassuring clues—the mention of her brother, her mother's troubles, and her equal frightful adventure—give her assurance that rock star Ziggy is really penning replies. Gradually, Shelley's mother's problems become too much to bear. She is a down on her luck alcoholic, and Shelley must cope both with her drunkenness and her brother's insolence and fear. This is a good read for young people, particularly middle school students, who long for realistic fiction with an edge and a sense of place and time. 2003, Bloomsbury Children's Books, 219 pp., Ages young adult.—Jeffrey S. Kaplan
Children's Literature
Shelley's life is a mess. Her parents are divorced, and she lives with her alcoholic mother, who is often too drunk to care for her or her younger brother, Jake. On Shelley's fourteenth birthday, she receives an album by her favorite pop music group, along with some posters and magazines from the group's fan club. One of the magazines contains an interview with the lead singer, Ziggy. To Shelley, Ziggy's family sounds a bit like her own family and this makes her feel a little better about her life. But mostly she is impressed with what Ziggy says about being honest with oneself. She decides to write an honest account of her life, and since Ziggy is the only person she feels she can trust, Shelley writes her life story in the form of letters to him. To her amazement, Ziggy writes back. Ziggy's advice to "hang on in there, Shelley," keeps her spirits up even through the roughest times—when her mother is jailed for a drunken brawl, when Jake disappears while under her mother's care, or when the school bully tries to frame Shelley for drug possession. This poignant story about the power of friendship will surely start showing up soon on suggested reading lists for middle schoolers and above. 2003, Bloomsbury USA Children's Books,— Pat Trattles
KLIATT
A photograph of a lovely black teenage girl is on the cover—her hair stylishly braided, a pen in her hand. This is a good introduction to the story of Shelley, who in desperation writes letters to a rock star she admires, pouring out her heart. This is the format of the story: her long letters, and his brief reply to each. Shelley and her little brother Jake live with their drunken white mother in London; their father, a West Indian, lives nearby with his new wife. Her mother's mother and her father's sister offer loving support, but no one really knows except Shelley and Jake just how sick their mother is. Shelley, at 14, often has to clean up after her mother, get her to bed, and take care of her little brother. The children are frequently left alone overnight when their mother doesn't come home; sometimes she comes home with drunken friends. Through the course of the year of Shelley's letters, the mother is arrested several times for being drunk and disorderly. Shelley, meanwhile, keeps the home life together for her little brother and she does well in school too. Her letters also tell about school, where she has friends, but also enemies. Three girls bully her and others; at one point Janice, the leader of the bullies, frames Shelley by planting drugs in her locker. Shelley's father organizes a well-constructed defense for Shelley in front of the school authorities to save her from expulsion from school. There are plenty of words and situations Americans may not be familiar with, but the meanings are clear in the context of the story. Shelley's courage and the honest exasperation she expresses in her letters are heart wrenching. Her excitement at attending her first boy-girl party,dressing up, and meeting a nice boy who likes her as much as she likes him add to the appeal of her story for young YAs. This is an excellent portrayal of an all-too-common situation: a teenager who must parent a weak parent and take care of younger siblings, doing her best in difficult circumstances. Fortunately, Shelley does have support, but she often doesn't want to betray her mother by asking for that support. KLIATT Codes: J—Recommended for junior high school students. 2003, Bloomsbury, 218p.,— Claire Rosser
VOYA
Shelley, a biracial fourteen-year-old, lives in London with her alcoholic mother and eight-year-old brother, Jake. On her birthday, she writes to her favorite rock star, Ziggy, and tells him that she wants to share her life "honestly" in letters. Each chapter begins with a short response, a postcard note from Ziggy, followed by Shelley's diary-like accounts. As her neglectful mother struggles from one binge to the next, Shelley and her brother are sporadically assisted by their father, his fiancée, and their maternal grandmother. Most of the time, however, Shelley must discover her own solutions, not only to the problems at home but also to the persistent bullying perpetrated by classmate Janice at school. Events culminate when her mother lands in prison, and Shelley, taunted by Janice, responds with a physical attack. Soon after, Janice stages a setup that results in Shelley being accused of drug dealing and threatened with expulsion. Father and friends step in to prove Shelley's innocence. She is reinstated, Janice is expelled, and her mother enters a support program. Written in a breezy, British style, this novel, although it portrays universal problems teens encounter, stays true to its voice and does not reflect American language and culture. Consequently, youngsters could have trouble following the story or identifying with Shelley. Better readers, however, might enjoy that challenge. VOYA CODES: 3Q 2P S (Readable without serious defects; For the YA with a special interest in the subject; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2003, Bloomsbury, 219p,— Laura Woodruff