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Always Angel
A powerful novel about second chances, friendship and finding the courage to rewrite your story.
Angel finds school hard.
She talks back to teachers, she storms out of lessons, and she's had more detentions than any other Year 8 student...ever. But really, Angel wants to be good. She wants to fit in, she wants to make friends, and she even wants to win the school baking contest.
But it's hard to be good when everyone expects the worst. And with her mum not well enough to look after her, and Angel making more and more bad choices, she's starting to run out of chances...
Angel finds school hard.
She talks back to teachers, she storms out of lessons, and she's had more detentions than any other Year 8 student...ever. But really, Angel wants to be good. She wants to fit in, she wants to make friends, and she even wants to win the school baking contest.
But it's hard to be good when everyone expects the worst. And with her mum not well enough to look after her, and Angel making more and more bad choices, she's starting to run out of chances...
- GenresMiddle Grade
240 pages, Paperback
Published February 12, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Going to be honest I found this tough. Mostly because it was too realistic. It gets the school setting perfectly and took me back into that environment (which isn't the best for my brain).
Will make you look at the bad kid in a different light and gives insight into care system which is filled with great people doing their best but is ultimately flawed.
Will make you look at the bad kid in a different light and gives insight into care system which is filled with great people doing their best but is ultimately flawed.
February 27, 2026
Always Angel is a FANTASTIC read that authentically captures daily life in a British secondary school. In particular, we follow Angel, a young girl who has just restarted Year 8 after a turbulent period of exclusions and school refusal.
Angel has been a young carer in the past for her bi-polar mother but is currently in a foster home as her mother is poorly. Her frustration, grief and anger make coping with difficult personalities and situations in school really challenging. Can she keep it all together?
No difficult to summarise plot. No massively contrived elements. Instead, Always Angel is an absolutely believable representation of secondary school life that does a great service to Angel (& kids like her) by showing some of the multiple reasons children struggle to conform.
Realism doesn’t equal mundane: this book is really gripping. The classroom scenes are often tense. Will Angel cope? What will go wrong? Is she about to blow her chance? There are various factors that could hinder Angel’s healing that could blow up at any time.
Always Angel also highlights the role of the school in a young person’s life. The school isn’t shown here to be a perfect institution: the teachers aren’t painted as perfect, nor saviours, & we see the volatility of a social space populated mainly by teenagers. However, we also see how, if enough time is allowed, trust can be co-constructed through communication, patience, empowerment and other restorative approaches.
Angel is a massively likeable protagonist and I was fighting for her from the beginning. You can see how desperate she is to succeed but how very difficult it is for her. Can she shake of the label of ‘naughtiest student’? Will the school be flexible enough to allow her time for growth?
The ensemble cast of teens also have their own realistic issues to navigate. Skin issues, pecking orders, conflict, peer pressure, and caring for family members. All very relatable topics for teen readers.
Like the sound of this? Also read Quiet Storm by the same author.
Angel has been a young carer in the past for her bi-polar mother but is currently in a foster home as her mother is poorly. Her frustration, grief and anger make coping with difficult personalities and situations in school really challenging. Can she keep it all together?
No difficult to summarise plot. No massively contrived elements. Instead, Always Angel is an absolutely believable representation of secondary school life that does a great service to Angel (& kids like her) by showing some of the multiple reasons children struggle to conform.
Realism doesn’t equal mundane: this book is really gripping. The classroom scenes are often tense. Will Angel cope? What will go wrong? Is she about to blow her chance? There are various factors that could hinder Angel’s healing that could blow up at any time.
Always Angel also highlights the role of the school in a young person’s life. The school isn’t shown here to be a perfect institution: the teachers aren’t painted as perfect, nor saviours, & we see the volatility of a social space populated mainly by teenagers. However, we also see how, if enough time is allowed, trust can be co-constructed through communication, patience, empowerment and other restorative approaches.
Angel is a massively likeable protagonist and I was fighting for her from the beginning. You can see how desperate she is to succeed but how very difficult it is for her. Can she shake of the label of ‘naughtiest student’? Will the school be flexible enough to allow her time for growth?
The ensemble cast of teens also have their own realistic issues to navigate. Skin issues, pecking orders, conflict, peer pressure, and caring for family members. All very relatable topics for teen readers.
Like the sound of this? Also read Quiet Storm by the same author.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Quiet Storm was a popular Bookbuzz choice at my school, so I was eager to read this book by the same author.
Angel is in Year 8 and just returning to school after problems the previous year. Labelled a troublemaker, her return is not easy and events conspire to make it even harder for her. Part of this is what has happened/ is still happening in her personal life. Angel’s mum is bipolar and Angel is in foster care, desperate to return to her mum and take care of her.
It is not an easy read, but it is eye opening. I think it would be good for staff in schools to read, to really appreciate how sometimes even the simplest thing can start a chain reaction that can change the behaviour of someone. As events unfold we can see that there are good reasons behind Angel’s behaviour. She wants to be good and do well but sometimes things are too much and she reacts- but we are shown why she reacts in the way she does. Angel is not the only student struggling, a ‘good’ student who seems to be the opposite of Angel also has problems at home which helps illustrates how hard it is know what is going behind the scenes for others.
This is a book heavy on issues, which I know some students find hard going. It is however a great book for getting people to think beyond the behaviour we might witness in someone and how our actions might send them further down the wrong path.
Angel is in Year 8 and just returning to school after problems the previous year. Labelled a troublemaker, her return is not easy and events conspire to make it even harder for her. Part of this is what has happened/ is still happening in her personal life. Angel’s mum is bipolar and Angel is in foster care, desperate to return to her mum and take care of her.
It is not an easy read, but it is eye opening. I think it would be good for staff in schools to read, to really appreciate how sometimes even the simplest thing can start a chain reaction that can change the behaviour of someone. As events unfold we can see that there are good reasons behind Angel’s behaviour. She wants to be good and do well but sometimes things are too much and she reacts- but we are shown why she reacts in the way she does. Angel is not the only student struggling, a ‘good’ student who seems to be the opposite of Angel also has problems at home which helps illustrates how hard it is know what is going behind the scenes for others.
This is a book heavy on issues, which I know some students find hard going. It is however a great book for getting people to think beyond the behaviour we might witness in someone and how our actions might send them further down the wrong path.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is a beautiful story about a young girl who is finding it difficult to find her place in the world. Self regulating your emotions can be a challenge when you are being raised by a single mother with mental health issues and one whom you are often separated from.
With her behaviour being categorised as disruptive, Angel currently has to live in a foster home, which she is very unhappy about. Even though this set of foster parents are decent people, Angel just wants to be in her own home with her own family.
Relieved to have at least one good friend in school, Angel doesn't realize that Tiana is using her and enjoys pushing other students around. She even discourages Angel from participating in the inter school bake off, where Angel wants to win the special price in the hope that it will facilitate a reunion with her mother.
Insightful, emotional, and utterly engaging, this is one that is not to be missed.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
With her behaviour being categorised as disruptive, Angel currently has to live in a foster home, which she is very unhappy about. Even though this set of foster parents are decent people, Angel just wants to be in her own home with her own family.
Relieved to have at least one good friend in school, Angel doesn't realize that Tiana is using her and enjoys pushing other students around. She even discourages Angel from participating in the inter school bake off, where Angel wants to win the special price in the hope that it will facilitate a reunion with her mother.
Insightful, emotional, and utterly engaging, this is one that is not to be missed.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
April 16, 2026
This book punches you in the gut! It’s so realistic and accurate of modern UK secondary school (except maybe for the phone use). Working in primary but having teenage daughters the same age as Angel I really felt this book tugging at my heart. I love that it adds some “bake off” and musicals for balance. Beautifully done. Not for the softer hearted but I’d definitely recommend to year 5s and up. Great for teaching empathy.
March 22, 2026
Was alright a bit slow
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Quite an emotional read, useful for those of working in schools as it illustrates really effectively that the behaviour a student may be exhibiting is only half the story. There were definite tears at the end...happy ones!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews