Little Bang Written by Kelly McCaughrain. Reviewed by Ruby, Age 16

For a book set in Northern Ireland and focusing on issues of teen pregnancy and abortion I knew I was in for a captivating, emotional read.

However, although I was swept up in hard hitting emotions, I also found myself to be laughing, smiling and, at times, cringing. The book harbours a perfect balance between light and dark, this is easier to notice as the main characters are still teenagers.

In some teen books authors struggle to obtain a realistic portrayal of a teenager however McCaughrain has done this brilliantly. The book has dual perspective so as the reader we get insights into both sid and Mel, an unlikely paring, Mel: a brainiac who dreams of Cambridge and is used to doing what she’s told and Sid: an aspiring musician who rebels against adults and is failing everything. I particularly enjoyed Sid’s perspective, I felt he was realistic and his growth throughout the book really tugged on my heartstrings (although at some points I was ready to slap him!) His change in moral compass was intriguing and it conveyed two important messages: teens are capable of anything they put their mind to and people are capable of change.

As well as the main two protagonists I loved all the side relationships and never found myself forgetting who was who. Similar to Sid, I loved his mum Lucille’s development throughout the story,  from a character I wasn’t sure of, to being one of my favourites.

Overall, I loved this book, it really goes deep into the struggle of choice and why being independent is so important.

A perfect read to gain a different perspective on teen pregnancy and family dynamics.