L-L-L-Loser by Catherine Forde - Barrington Stoke Book 24

A common feature of Barrington Stoke books is a short introductory note by the author. Catherine Forde writes one for L-L-L-Loser. You don't have to read it to enjoy the story, but it feels like a personal message from the author to the reader, which I really like.

This personal tone continues in the story itself, which is told directly by John with a sense of familiarity. This is enhanced with some nice use of fonts, punctuation and page design.

John thinks he is incredibly cool, he is in a band and pretty good-looking. In contrast, his brother and his mate are deeply uncool Star Wars geeks. This is true, but John might not have the full picture.

John's one-sided take really adds to the drama of, what turns out to be, a pretty fantastic adventure. The geeks end up on telly, and no one is sure if this makes them cool or not.

The distinctive voice, design tricks and flawed perspective means any reader needs to concentrate to keep up. But if you can, L-L-L-Loser will certainly keep you entertained. If you are reading in a partnership L-L-L-Loser will give plenty to talk about (not least, lots of pop culture references and brands that older readers may need some help with)!