Troublemakers
Published on 1. June 2017
Book
Paperback/Softback
384 pages
978-1-78344-524-0 (ISBN)
Description
Shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2018
Nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2018
Longlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2018
In three years I will be able to vote and I will still have less power than I did at the moment that I saw that email, which was such a tiny thing but look what happened.
Fifteen-year-old Alena never really knew her political activist mother, who died when she was a baby. She has grown up with her older half-brother Danny and his boyfriend Nick in the east end of London. Now the area is threatened by a bomber who has been leaving explosive devices in supermarkets. It is only a matter of time before a bomb goes off.
Against this increasingly fearful backdrop, Alena seeks to discover more about her past, while Danny takes a job working for a controversial politician. As her family life implodes, and the threat to Londoners mounts, Alena starts getting into trouble. Then she does something truly rebellious.
A searing, heartbreaking coming-of-age tale for fans of Lisa Williamson, Jenny Downham and Sarah Crossan.
Nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2018
Longlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2018
In three years I will be able to vote and I will still have less power than I did at the moment that I saw that email, which was such a tiny thing but look what happened.
Fifteen-year-old Alena never really knew her political activist mother, who died when she was a baby. She has grown up with her older half-brother Danny and his boyfriend Nick in the east end of London. Now the area is threatened by a bomber who has been leaving explosive devices in supermarkets. It is only a matter of time before a bomb goes off.
Against this increasingly fearful backdrop, Alena seeks to discover more about her past, while Danny takes a job working for a controversial politician. As her family life implodes, and the threat to Londoners mounts, Alena starts getting into trouble. Then she does something truly rebellious.
A searing, heartbreaking coming-of-age tale for fans of Lisa Williamson, Jenny Downham and Sarah Crossan.
Reviews / Votes
"A thought-provoking, richly layered YA novel about politics, love, grief and coming of age." -- Imogen Russell Williams * Guardian * "Wonderfully individual and heartbreakingly real" -- starred review * Kirkus * "A touching, truthful depiction of an unconventional family life... written before London's current summer of discontent but captures the effect of a constant climate of unease on young people and the permanently anxious adults who care for them." -- Geraldine Brennan * Observer * "A clever, thoughtful novel with a wonderfully realistic main character" -- Sarah Webb * Irish Independent * "It's refreshing to see a contemporary YA novel that focuses so much on family and politics and allows its heroine to escape the narrative without a boyfriend in tow" -- Claire Hennessy * Irish Times * "A sparky and timely coming-of-age tale about politics, activism & morality" * Katherine Woodfine * "Family tensions and uncertainty are contrasted against the current political situation in this excellent novel" -- Marilyn Brocklehurst * Guardian, The Best New Children's Books supplement * "I loved it, so much so that as soon as I finished I started reading it again. Completely brilliant" -- Keren David, author of Salvage "I couldn't put Troublemakers down. It's a real page-turner, with utterly believable characters who are all trying to do their best. Barter is a fresh, exciting new voice, and I can't wait to see what she does next." -- Susin Nielsen "I think it's really brilliant and I absolutely loved it - the voice is terrific. I hope it's loved as much as Jenny Downham's Unbecoming." -- Aoife Walsh, author of Too Close To Home "One of the most woke YA novels EVER and will quickly make you question your own political knowledge and outspokenness" * Maximum Pop! Books * "Politics and the personal combine in a thoughtful, well-told and moving story" -- Andrea Reece * Lovereading4Kids *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Target group
Young adult
Interest Age: From 12 to 17 years
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 126 mm
Thickness: 27 mm
Weight
309 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78344-524-0 (9781783445240)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Catherine Barter grew up in Warwickshire, and then lived in Norwich for ten years, where she worked in a library, a bookshop, and for an organisation campaigning for the rights of garment workers. After gaining a PhD in American literature, she ditched academia for the lucrative world of independent bookselling. Currently she lives in East London and co-manages Housmans, a radical independent bookshop in King's Cross.