Scarlett

by Cathy Cassidy

I'll be different, I won't break the rules . . . I promise' Scarlett has got herself in trouble so often, her Mum no longer believes her promises. Sent off to stay with Dad, the message is behave or else! Can Scarlett mend her ways, or will she die of boredom? Perhaps gorgeous and mysterious local boy Kian can supply some of the answers . . .

Genres: Childrens, Contemporary, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Romance

240 pages, Paperback

Published July 31, 2006

About the author

I was born in 1962 in Coventry (scarily ancient, I know). I wrote my first picture book for my little brother when I was eight or nine. I loved making comics, too - pages and pages of picture stories, features and competitions.

I went to Art College in Liverpool, then got a job as fiction editor on the fab and legendary Jackie magazine.

I have worked as agony aunt on Shout magazine and also as an art teacher in the local primary & secondary schools, as well as as a freelance illustrator. These days, I am a full-time author.

I love my family, I love living in the middle of nowhere and I love my work. Of all my jobs, writing has to be the best - it's the perfect excuse to daydream, after all!

Reviews

[Ruby Granger]

I re-read this for a read-a-thon because it was by far my favourite Cathy Cassidy book when I was younger :)

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't think I'd like this book. I thought it'd be another typical rebellious teenager, fighting back and falling in love. However, I have learnt to not judge a book by its cover, and I'm so glad I took the time to read this book and witness the truth behind each page. Cathy Cassidy has represented some horrible and scary truths in her novel, without it being too disruptive for younger readers, and that is a school only few authors can manage.

Scarlett is about a young girl named Scarlett who is from a broken home. Her dad left her mother for someone else and Scarlett utterly hates him for it. Her childhood shattered, her dreams disappearing, Scarlett finds herself rebelling by dying her hair, acting out and getting her tongue pierced. However, her late working mother finds herself distressed and just lets Scarlett get on with it over and over again. But after being kicked out of school again, Scarlett's mum is left with no choice but to send Scarlett packing to live with her dad in the mystical world of Ireland, where he lives with his new wife and her daughter. After embarking on the journey that she knows she's going to hate, Scarlett finds herself in the middle of a happy family and she's prepared to ruin it. She hates her mum for leaving her with her dad and she hates her dad for leaving her mum. The only person who she subtly connects with is, Holly, her step-sister and with her dads wife, Clare, being pregnant, Scarlett's anger lashes out in so many more ways. So when a tall, dark, handsome, travelling yet mysterious boy appears, Scarlett finds herself forcing her feelings to be nothing more but love then anger. But, just like everything - it all goes wrong.

Cathy Cassidy has presented the life of a broken home brilliantly. Also, she has amazingly presented the characteristics of the mother and the father of Scarlett. At first you are led to hate the dad because he left Scarlett and tore her childhood into pieces, but in time you see that its actually her mother who is the issue and caused the two to break up and she seems to abandon Scarlett for her work and her late shifts. Also, Cathy has amazingly presented other characters with witty and relatable traits. Her step sister Holly may appear innocent to some peoples eyes, but in reality she can also be crude, black mailing and annoying, and she uses it to her ability. Or even the mysterious boy, Kian, he sometimes fathoms as a dream but in reality, he's real but with a dark secret.

All of the characters were beautifully presented and allowed me to embark my own opinions of them without feeling like I was going against what the author wanted. All of the scenes were beautifully portrayed in a way that wouldn't be hard for a younger reader. I definitely think that if I had read this a few years back, again, I would have enjoyed this book a lot more because I would be the target audience, but even now being sixteen years old, I find myself enjoying this book.

I'd definitely recommend this to younger readers as they'd be able to enjoy the book and relate to it.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really REALLY GOOD

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was Introduced to Scarlett via the Nintendo DS Flicks Game of Cathy Cassidy, So I got the Physical copy of the Book to Read for myself & it did not Disappoint.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twelve year old Scarlett is not a fan of her new life. Before her parents split up she had a normal life. A stay at home dad who loved spending time with her. A happy social life full of friends and sleepovers.

Now she lives with her mom in a flat in London. Her dad lives in Ireland with his new wife and stepdaughter. Scarlett is unhappy and angry. She has the school record to prove it, five schools in two years. Her mom has had enough; Scarlett's last chance is to move to rural Ireland with her dad and his new family.Will Scarlett be able to make the most of her last chance or will her anger and resentment get in the way?

I loved the character of Scarlett.She is brutally honest about how she feels and what is now missing in her life. Her move to Ireland is a little predictable. she learns how to deal with her feelings ,becomes a part of her new family, and has a small romance with a mysterious boy.A great book about how tough divorce can be and how to deal with life's problems.

Read alikes :
Notes from the Midnight Driver By Jordan Sonnenblick

Waiting for Normal By Leslie Connor

Bird Lake moon By Kevin Henkes

[Imi Godwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book from the kind folks at National Blind Children's Society. Scarlett is a story about a girl who is a bit of a trouble maker. She has been expelled from five schools in two years and she only lasted four months at Greenhall Academy. Now Mum's had enough, the suitcases are packed and Scarlett is shoved onto a plane to go and live with her Dad who - as far as Scarlett is concerned- is a waste of oxygen. As if this isn't enough, she has a new stepsister to ignore and her evil stepmum who keeps trying to be nice AND her Dad's new baby on the way. She has to be on gaurd - Scarlett doesn't want to be dragged into this happy family charade. Then there is Kian... the mystery boy by the loch... could he make her stay?

Scarlett is a great young adult read. You really feel like you are in the story because of Scarlett's strong narrative. I read this book in a day and it had me gripped. It has great morals - maybe not in the first chapters, but towards the end. It's main moral is that you should embrace second chances and make the most of whatever situation you are in. These are morals I certainly believe in. I would recommend this to any young adult (12+) wanting a read that will keep you gripped! I give it a fabulous four star!

[Marcela Ferreira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Um infanto-juvenil q n tem nada de infantil, esse livro é bom pra caramba meu deus como eu tava com saudade, chorei sim, livro bom da porra meu deus, 10/10, melhor releitura cara.

[Mrinalini Biswas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally posted in my blog:https://seaviolin.wordpress.com/. :
Scarlett’s name spells trouble and that is not her fault! 2 years ago, she was a bright student! 2 years ago, she didn’t get kicked out of schools! 2 years ago, she had a dad!

When Scarlett was 10, her dad left her and her mother after falling in love with an Irish woman called Clare, who already had a daughter called Holly.

In 2 years, Scarlett went to 5 schools. Now that she had messed this up, she was being sent away to Ireland to live with her dad. Here is where she gets one last chance. Will she be able to mend her ways and return to her mother, or will she die in boredom or will she mend her ways, make some friends and choose to stay? To find out more about how Scarlett mends her life, dig into this lively story by Cathy Cassidy.

[Cat InTheNet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Foi um regressar à infância 💕

[Charlotte (The Writers' Crown) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a comfort read, I love the feel of this world

[Kimberley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a perfect book for middle school students (ages 10 - 13). I should also tell you I read it based on the recommendation of a 6th grade pre-AP student,...who put the book in my hand and told me to read her copy.

This is the story of Scarlett, a 12-year-old London girl, who is mad at the world and has been angry since her parents divorced two years ago. She's given her mother so much trouble (and been expelled from more than one school), her mom sends her to Ireland to live with her dad, his new wife, and his new wife's 9-year-old daughter. Scarlett feels rejected and unwanted on many levels,...but you never know what might happen in the land of wishes and faeries and legends.

**And I admit, I also love this book because Scarlett gives words to my own emotions at her age. Unlike her, though, I tried to be the perfect daughter after my parents' divorce, but that didn't bring me any more peace than Scarlett's rebellion brings her. The story is funny and sweet and a little heartbreaking with a few tense moments, but it's a well-mixed recipe. It's rare to find a book I think is perfect for middle school ages, but this one definitely has my vote.**

[Hadeel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know what to say. I thought it was very weird. I cannot make myself like it. She is just TWELVE, and her whole character makes her look like she is SIXTEEN or something. And what's with the end? Creepy not romantic at all.
And Holly speaks as she is not nine. I just cannot. I thought I would like this book, but I couldn't. So much inconsistency. Maybe it reflects some real life, but I cannot with this plot.

I like the name of the horse, Midnight.

[Runi · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book I have ever read. I was maybe 11. It holds a very special place in my heart, and I will never forget it.
It is a perfect first book for a preteen to read, quirky and engaging, deeply emotional and intense in places. It has a good narrative structure, good main character arc (coupled with her relationships to other characters- especially her mother), and this unyielding sense of magic that permeates the pages.

[Charlotte (The Writers' Crown) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this back in primary/high school and I still love it just as much now. So cosy and heartwarming.

[Keity · Rating 5 out of 5]

Боже, колко ми липсва това момиче... Прекрасно израстване на героя - обичах я и преди, обичах я и след това. Страхотна история, не ми излиза от ума!!!

[Kiera · Rating 4 out of 5]

love this

[Flora Hillage · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I hated Kian because he was a creepy but after a while I slightly cried when he left 😢 I know have a small crush!! Don't tell Paul (from driftwood.)

[Jackie Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this MUCH more as a kid. Scarlett was a brat for most of this.
Still good though, but I think I need to read something other than angsty pre teen fiction for a while!

[Rhiannon Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rereading books I liked as a child, I still like this

[Jiayi · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was my fave as a kid but not anymore i feel
+ MC is sooo edgy and angry but i didn't get annoyed cause it was explained well and her character growth with her family issues was good
- this is THE manic pixie dream boy to end all manic pixie dream boys... but i don't really feel like their relationship was very romantic

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scarlett is about a girl named Scarlet whose been kicked out of many schools in just one semester. Her mom couldn't handle her so she sents Scarlett to her relatives and eventually back to her mother, because they couldn't handle her either. Once school started again, Scarlett yet again, got kicked out so her mother took drastic actions and sent her to her fathers. Her parents have been divorced and her father cheated on her mother so she hated him and she thought her mother did too, but obviously not. Once Scarlett arrived at her father's she felt like she didn't belong, because her father has another wife and a daughter and the wife (Claire) was pregnant. Scarlett felt like her world was falling down and she didn't like being in school so she cut, and met a guy who showed her how life could be better. She soon finds out that his mother had recently died, and together they encouraged each other to make the best of what they had. Scarlett soon realizes that Claire was actually on her side and wanted to help her. But once things were getting better, something happened. You want to know what happened? Read the book!
I liked this book a lot because it's very emotional and it was very detailed. I could actually imagine what's going on in my head. It was like a movie that was playing in my head. I would recommend this book to people who think that they have a tough because this book would change your perceptive and make you thankful of what you have.

[M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

2011 Rebecca Caudill nominee—Scarlett’s world fell apart when she was 10 and her father left her mother for another woman. Her mother was furious and spends long, long hours at work both to comfort herself and to provide for Scarlett. Scarlett, in reaction to her mother’s anger and her own, has had no contact with her dad for 2 years. She has also been expelled from 4 schools for bad behavior. As a last, last resort, Scarlett’s mom sends her from London to the boonies of Ireland live with her dad, his new wife, and the wife’s daughter who is about 3 years younger than Scarlett. Scarlett sees the wife as a replacement for her mom and the daughter as a replacement for her and acts accordingly. It is the wife’s constant and positive presence, plus Scarlett’s secret friendship with a boy with a horse, that turns her attitude around. Very good book. There is just enough of the exotic in the Irish setting to make it all interesting, but nothing at all exotic in the feelings and experiences described. The same author write Dizzy and Indigo Blue. Probably for girls 5th grade and up.

[Onika · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought Scarlett was AMAZING. Scarlett kind of reminded me of myself, only at a higher level of anger. I thought her dad was really horrible and out of order. I would have went crazy being in the middle of nowhere! My favourite character was Scarlett because she was quite funny and cool. I felt a connection to the book because I have to go to Ireland every year to see my cousins which and I love and hate at the same time. Buts thats a different story...
It almost made me cry, because of the unfairness of it all - especially the part when that little brat Hollie pierced herself with a badge pin and Scarlett got blamed. And I can imagine the fear going into a tiny school with only 2 kids your age who are both losers. It really made me remember how lucky I am...and how crap Ireland can be.

[Janine Minuwani · Rating 2 out of 5]

About a kid whose name is Scarlet who was broken after her dad leave them.

Its an easy read and easy to understand book. Honestly, I have a lot of mixed feelings about this. I hate almost all the characters.

1. Chris - her dad, dude you cheated and leave your fam for another girl and you expect your kid will immediately understand? BS
2. Clare - she's kind and understanding but I still dont like that she's the reason why a man left his family.
3. Holly - you force and blackmail scarlet to pierce your nose, when it went wrong you didn't speak?? Really?
4. Kian - dude are you a ghost, a fairy or a stalker?
5. Scarlet - Okay, I understand that you are hurting. I did hope you did run away 😂

Not a character but the romance. I hate the touch of romance to this story. A 12 and 13??? Seriously?!

[The Styling Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scarlett by Cathy Cassidy – Realistic Fiction, 5th grade and up – I wasn’t expecting to tear up over another book, thought this one would be light fun, silly me. Touching book about a girl who shuts down and goes “dark” after her parents get a divorce. In two years she is kicked out of five schools and when her mom sends her away to her dad’s home, she goes through the rejection and anger phases in a brilliant, upsetting way. I especially loved the celebration of time settling into Ireland, beautiful imagery and made me wish I could visit there… Just loved how the book developed and I’m quite pleased I took home another Cathy Cassidy for the summer, this one by accident- had to repair it and was placed in the “take home” pile instead of the “repaired” pile of books.

[Rawdah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book because my older sister read it when they were my age and for some reason they would not stop talking about it so I decided to give it a try. I was mind blown!!!!!


The plot of the story is that Scarlett is a girl who lives with her single mom and her dad left her mom and went to marry a lady who already had a child named holly. So she lives with her mom while her dad lives with his wife and stepdaughter. Also she has a record for getting kicked out of schools and her mom gets fed up with her and ships her to her dad.

I can't lie, I loved her bad girl era. So if you are reading this the moral of the story is to read this book asap!!!!!

[Ashley De los santos · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS IS AN AWESOME BOOK BECAUSE IS ABOUT A GIRL NAMED SCARLETT WHO STRUGGLES KNOWING HOW TO ACT IN SHCOOL AND IN LIFE IN GENERAL. SHE DYIED HER HAIR RED WITH A CHEMICAL FROM THE SIENCE ROOM AND SHE HAS NOT WOREN HER SHCOOL UNIFORM PROPERLY EITHER. SO HER MOTHER DOES NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO NEXT AND SHE HAS BEEN SEND TO HER FATHERS HOUSE IN IRELAND. THERE SHE LEARNS HOW TO BE RESPECTFUL AND NOWS HOW TO ACT BUT BEFORE SHE LEARNS ALL THOSE THINGS SHE GOES THROUGH SOME WEIRD STUFF LIKE TRYING TO PEICE HER LIL STEP SISTERS NOSE.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

A feisty, somewhat spoiled teen-ager struggles with her parents divorce and continually gets kicked out of a variety of schools. Mom is at wits end and sends her to live with dad. Scarlett struggles adapting to life in a a remote Irish community and falls into her usual rebelliousness until she meets someone who slowly changes her attitude and her life. Teens and some pre-teens can relate the Scarlett's feelings of hopelessness, loss, insecurity, etc. It's a great lesson in letting go and moving on.

[Hannah Byrne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Scarlett is what set my love for books off, the author was able to take a young girl to another magical world through the lines and pages of a book. This book taught me that a good book is all that you need to see the world and escape it all at the same time. I would like to thank Cathy Cassidy for this book and for introducing me to the wonderful world of reading though it. Every time I read this book (and I do read i repeatedly) it is like I am reading it for the first time all over again.

[H Bridgewater · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book scarlett in my opinion, was one of the best realistic fiction books I've ever read. Scarlett, the trouble maker with ketchup colored hair, was always causing trouble at school. Eventually, she got expelled from school and her mom forced her to move far way from London with her dad. At first, scarlett refuses to like it with her dad, but she started liking it all because of one person. If you want to know who that one person is and what happens, please read this book! It actually made me excited to read.