Product Description

At any other time they would never have met. Bright, arty Emma with the steady boyfriend and a new baby. James, the public schoolboy who won a bet but flunked all his exams in the process. Leon, sent to college instead of prison who's angry at the world and determined on revenge. And bolshy Grace, who acts like she doesn't care, but underneath it all has a very surprising secret to spring on the others.

Thrust together on the first day of term at college the four of them form an unlikely and uneasy alliance that eventually leads to friendship, and even love.

But if it really was fate that brought them together, it is a completely different, life-threatening, accident that will test their friendship and loyalty to the extreme.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13669 in Books
• Published on: 2008-02-07
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Synopsis
At any other time they would never have met. Bright, arty Emma with the steady boyfriend and a new baby. James, the public schoolboy who won a bet but flunked all his exams in the process. Leon, sent to college instead of prison who's angry at the world and determined on revenge. And bolshy Grace, who acts like she doesn't care, but underneath it all has a very surprising secret to spring on the others. Thrust together on the first day of term at college the four of them form an unlikely and uneasy alliance that eventually leads to friendship, and even love. But if it really was fate that brought them together, it is a completely different, life-threatening, accident that will test their friendship and loyalty to the extreme.

About the Author
Other titles for older readers: Saturday Girl and Never Ever.
Also for OUP: The After School Club series, including Clubbing Together, Clubbing Again and Clubbing Forever; the Simone books; Vicious Circle; Jade's Story; and There's Only One Danny Ogle.

Customer Reviews

Can't stop reading
I saw the cover of the book and wasn't overly grabbed but the title intrigued me so i read the first page to see what it was like and was hooked by it immediately.
This is the story of four people who meet by chance in an elevator on their first day at sixth-form college. They are not your normal group of people, there is Emma the straight A student and teenage mother with artistic talents. Grace the football mad, slightly unsure teen. James the intelligent but slightly rebellious good-looking lad and Leon, the rebellious but dependent troubled care kid.
The story is told by Emma to the cleaner at the college named Kazia, she is displaying her art project for an exam the next day, when she asks Kazia for her opinion. It is set out as a game of consequences, the much loved kids came of - his name, her name, he said, she said, and the consequence was...
This really is a fantastic idea for a story setting and works very well, you come to love the characters and get a real feeling for their experiences.
One of the best books i have read in my life, and i read an awful lot of books.
a MUST READ - TRULY FANTASTIC

A 'must buy'
The author engages the reader from the first page. The idea of constructing a story around the timeless playground classic game of consequences is simply superb. The book tells the story of four different but endearing characters who come together by chance - their story is told via an art project one of them has produced at college and rehearses her presentation to the Polish cleaner, Kazia - who also evolves with the storyline. Each character is very different but the way the author threads them together is seamless and absorbing.
Some real and difficult issues are addressed in an unforced, realistic and humourous way.
I couldn't put this book down and was really disappointed to have finished it - i wanted it to go on and on ... I see a film or TV series in the making!!

An original and engrossing read
The novel unfolds in a very unusual way - there are four stories which form part of main character Emma's art project, based on the game of Consequences: Boy, Girl, He Said, She Said, Consequences.

This book is hard to put down. It has a soap opera feel and explores serious issues in an engaging way. I loved the characters, particularly Kazia, the cleaner, and the charming, naive James. This book is thoroughly recommended as a meaty, engrossing and original read.