Bookshop Girl is the debut novel from Chloe Coles. Chloe works as a book buyer in the enticing Foyles on Charing Cross Road, so who better to write a novel about, and set mainly in, a book shop. Our hero is Paige Turner – what book addict would not want a name like that – and the book opens as she learns that Bennett’s, the bookshop where she works while at college, is to be closed and demolished so that the property can be redeveloped into “multiple state-of-the-art retail units”. Paige and her colleagues are devastated by the news, for some of them Bennetts is their life. Paige decides that action is needed; they must stop the town’s only bookshop being closed and she begins the “Save Bennett’s” campaign.
I really enjoyed this book despite being a few decades older than the target audience, although as an avid reader I do love bookshops so that probably helped. Paige and her best friend Holly have the lovely easy friendship that best friends should have, with none of the histrionics, or fallings out over boys that can often be found in YA books. There are love interests in the book of course, but these side stories do not overshadow the main message which is to stand up for what you believe.
I really liked Paige’s character. She is funny, honest, loyal and passionate about books and reading, but she is not unrealistically perfect; a typical teen girl who is irritated by her younger brother, ‘in love’ with the ‘art school anarchist’ Blaine, and thinks where she lives is dull and can’t wait to get away to university. But when her home town is threatened, she will fight till the end to save it.
Many of the secondary characters are interesting too, although there are one or two who are caricatures. It is good to see that Holly comes out from Paige’s shadow and is given a distinct personality of her own. The Posers art class gives us Sue, who provides much of the book’s fun, and it would be interesting to see her character develop more. A second book is already on its way and I hope that more of the bookshop staff have more significant roles. Store manager Tony clearly has a past and maybe we will find out what has happened to turn him from the enthusiastic ‘Bookseller of the year’ of the past to the defeated man he is today.
Although marketed as YA, I think the style of writing is more targeted to younger teens, and Paige is a great role model for them. The writing is very modern with lots of LOLs and OMGs, which might appeal to this age group more than to older readers.
Overall Bookshop Girl is a fun read, with a passion for books at its heart.
I really enjoyed this book despite being a few decades older than the target audience, although as an avid reader I do love bookshops so that probably helped. Paige and her best friend Holly have the lovely easy friendship that best friends should have, with none of the histrionics, or fallings out over boys that can often be found in YA books. There are love interests in the book of course, but these side stories do not overshadow the main message which is to stand up for what you believe.
I really liked Paige’s character. She is funny, honest, loyal and passionate about books and reading, but she is not unrealistically perfect; a typical teen girl who is irritated by her younger brother, ‘in love’ with the ‘art school anarchist’ Blaine, and thinks where she lives is dull and can’t wait to get away to university. But when her home town is threatened, she will fight till the end to save it.
Many of the secondary characters are interesting too, although there are one or two who are caricatures. It is good to see that Holly comes out from Paige’s shadow and is given a distinct personality of her own. The Posers art class gives us Sue, who provides much of the book’s fun, and it would be interesting to see her character develop more. A second book is already on its way and I hope that more of the bookshop staff have more significant roles. Store manager Tony clearly has a past and maybe we will find out what has happened to turn him from the enthusiastic ‘Bookseller of the year’ of the past to the defeated man he is today.
Although marketed as YA, I think the style of writing is more targeted to younger teens, and Paige is a great role model for them. The writing is very modern with lots of LOLs and OMGs, which might appeal to this age group more than to older readers.
Overall Bookshop Girl is a fun read, with a passion for books at its heart.