Saturday Girl by Helena Pielichaty

What's it all about?

Bright and chirpy 15 year old Suzanne Fish is devastated when she finds the confident young woman working over her in her first Saturday job and the calculating, spiteful girl who bullied her in Year 7 and 8 are one and the same. Was it all going to start again?

'Offers courage and insight to those in her (Suzanne's) position.' Books for Keeps 'Enlivened by sparky humour, Suzanne's story of facing up to her difficulties will be appreciated by many teenagers, especially for not simplifying a complex problem.' School Librarian Journal 'A full-length children's read tackling the problem of bullying. Suzanne is a 16 year old whose life was made a hell by the older Karenna a couple of years previously at school. She is coming to terms with it but when she starts a Saturday job at a hair salon, guess who's working there? The problem is tackled sensitively, offering positive advice, and the story, told by Suzanne herself, is encouraging, albeit that it touches on other issues like drugs, boyfriends and domestic violence. My 11-year old daughter read it swiftly and approved.' Eastern Daily Press 'A heart-rending story infused with teen-realism… a gripping read.' Yorkshire Post

Where did the idea come from?

The very first short story I wrote when I joined a creative writing class in 1986 was called 'The Bogs'. It was about a girl, Suzanne, who had arranged to meet her friend at break in the school 'bogs', a place Suzanne avoided whenever she could as she had been bullied there when she was younger. The friend was late and as she waited, all the memories came flooding back. I later made the story into a book called 'She was only the Upholsterer's Daughter' (yes, really!) and this eventually became 'Getting Rid of Karenna'.

Short-listed for the Sheffield Children's Book Award 2001 The Bookseller's Book of the Month

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