By: Catriona McKeown
Genre: YFB - General fiction (Children's / Teenage)
Published by: Rhiza Press
Published: 1 Nov 2017
ISBN: 9781925563207

Description

One girl. One boy. And a friendship that could save them both. Good-girl Kat knew drinking alcohol at school would have serious consequences. But to protect her friend from being expelled, Kat lands herself a term's worth of detentions. Inside the detention room, she meets a strange boy whom obsessively draws dark pictures and covers his head with a grey hoodie. Little does she know, the hoodie hides a dark past... An unlikely friendship forms between Kat and the boy in the hoodie.


When she discovers a sinister truth he’s been hiding, she somehow feels compelled to help him—but at what cost? And how much is she willing to risk in order to keep him safe?


The Boy in the Hoodie is a real, unforgettable story about how friendships can bring healing, fade scarring and open new wounds all at the same time.


Review

I loved the premise of this book, about a good girl, the daughter of a pastor, making a mistake and dealing with the consequences.


When Kat succumbs to peer pressure to have a sip of alcohol at school, and is then forced by her supposed friends to take full responsibility, this is only the start of some life changing decisions.


As a result of the alcohol incident, Kat is stuck in detention until the end of term. But there she meets the new boy, Adrian, aka The Boy in the Hoodie. But she soon discovers that his past is nothing like the horrible stories going around school about him. They become friends, and Kat risks the wrath of her parents to help him as their friendship develops.


Without giving away too much, I must say it was great to read a story based around a thoroughly nice girl who makes a small mistake, and grows and learns from it. Kat is a wonderful character and her love and loyalty shine throughout the whole book.


Too many books deal with the horrors of our world as experienced by teenagers, and while this books deals with a fair share of problems - in particular, Adrian had to face some huge issues - overall it was really a story about loyalty and friendship, and discovering your own values and acting on them.


I highly recommend it for all high school students.


Reviewed by Rob