Ever since the first day of secondary school, Poppy and Maisie have been inseparable: between late-night phone calls and regular sleepovers, their friendship has become the most important thing in their lives. While Maisie is loud and daring, Poppy is quieter, happiest fading into the background.
But Maisie’s idea of fun — getting the bus to the notorious Tickton estate, hanging out with a gang of boys and daring Poppy to steal sweets from the corner shop — starts to make Poppy feel uncomfortable. When a teacher encourages her newfound passion for writing, Poppy finds herself wondering who she’d be outside of Maisie’s orbit.
Helen Rutter is an acclaimed author and comedian. Her debut novel, The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh, was a Waterstones Children’s Book of the Month, in addition to being nominated for the Carnegie, shortlisted for the Costa, Blue Peter and Branford Boase Awards, and winning the Teach Primary Book Award.