Blood Pressure

by Alan Gibbons

Aidan has it all - a happy home in leafy suburbia with two cars parked on the drive, and all a boy could ask for in terms of designer labels and gadgets. He's top of the class, captain of the swimming team and has the gorgeous Emily hanging on his every word. So a trip up North with Mum to visit his dying Grandfather doesn't go down well. But it does teach Aidan a thing or two about real life - and friendships, trust, loyalty and survival.
He's shattered to discover his real father is a gangland drugs dealer recently released from prison and out to regain his scrap of turf whatever it takes. He's surprised and confused to find he's falling in love with the intriguing Jade even though she's already pregnant after a fling with one of the bad lads who hangs out on the estate. He's humbled by his grandparents, how little they have, but how much wisdom and love they offer him. In a crackingly paced, hard-hitting, real life thriller that deals with drugs and crime, Alan Gibbons also describes the summer of one boy who must grow up super-fast - from hormonal to responsible - in one huge leap of faith.

Genres: Teen

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Alan Gibbons is an author of children's books and a Blue Peter Book Award. He currently lives in Liverpool, England, where he used to teach in a primary school. His father was a farm laborer, but was hurt in an accident when Alan was eight years old. The family had to move to Crewe, Cheshire where Alan experienced bullying for the first time. He began to write for his pupils as a teacher, but never tried to get any of his work published.

Gibbons trained to be a teacher in his mid-thirties and starting writing short stories for his students. Later, he began to write professionally. In 2000, he won the Blue Peter Book Award in the category "The Book I Couldn't Put Down" category for Shadow of the Minotaur. He was a judge for the 2001 Blue Peter Book Awards. He was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal in 2001 and 2003 and shortlisted twice for the Booktrust Teenage Prize. He has also won the Leicester Book of the Year, the Stockport Book Award, the Angus Book Award, the Catalyst Award, the Birmingham Chills Award, the Salford Young Adult Book Award and the Salford Librarians' Special Award.

Reviews

[Casey Rodger]

I enjoyed reading this book. It made me feel like l was on edge and l couldn't put the book down because I was so attached to it. I would have enjoyed it more if the story had a different ending and the beginning of the book was slightly boring but apart from that it was fantastic and I would highly recommend this book to anyone that likes a good interesting book to read.

[eden]

i liked the first part of the book, the mystery of everything. but as i progressed into the second part i found myself confused of everything and everyone. it just didn’t really make sense

[Abigael Bamgboye]

Want to dig in exciting, engaging and adventurous book? Don't pick this one up.

The beginning wasn't exactly terrible: more boring, unengrossing and seemingly pointless. However it does get better-it just takes a while to do so. It's got a nice plotline, but it's the characters and first quarter of the book that I have a problem with.

The characters are quite frankly unbelievable through thr first half (except for the protagonist and the grandma), but by the end of the book every charcter is an individual with their own story (except Jade). What I mean is, if you want to enjoy this book, you have to persist (and also try not to read it at night if you're easily scared).

In its own way it's a good book. Just not a brilliant one.

[Alyssa]

Bored me to no end.. Couldn't even bother to begin the second part. :/

[Pamela Morgan]

Idan is top of the class, captain of the swimming team but a trip up North with Mum doesn't go down well.