Torn

by Jenni Spangler

Sara has to move to a refuge after her dad hits her mum. She can't bear to talk about it, not even to her best friend, Hafsa. Hafsa wants to know why Sara is cancelling plans and ignoring messages. It's not like her to be so cold. Will Sara share her worries with Hafsa, or will the secrecy tear their friendship apart Following on from a hugely successful first series, Two Sides II is comprised of books with two first person narratives which run parallel to each other along a carefully structured timeline. One 'bystander' narrative presents a narrow perspective of the main character, usually coming from a place of ignorance or prejudice. The other narrative is voiced by the main character, revealing the broader reality of their situation and what it's really like to be in their shoes. These thoughtful and inclusive stories sensitively address some of the more complex experiences of many teenagers today, with subjects covering domestic abuse, anxiety, gender identity, sexuality, racism and loneliness. They are perfectly pitched for struggling and reluctant readers aged 13+ who have a reading age of roughly 8-9, fulfilling a need for lower level age-appropriate fiction with the look and feel of a 'real' book. This compelling series will grab students' attention, whilst cautioning them not to assume that they know what someone else is going through, just because of how things look on the outside. They are gripping, hard-hitting and emotional, and are a stark reminder of what it means to be an individual.

41 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2019

About the author

Theatre school drop out, ex-999 operator and occasional forklift driver, Jenni writes children’s books with a magical twist. She loves to take real and familiar places and events and add a layer of mystery and hocus-pocus.

She was part of the first year of the ‘WriteMentor’ scheme, mentored by Lindsay Galvin, author of ‘The Secret Deep’. As well as her magical middle grade novels, Jenni writes short contemporary YA stories for reluctant and struggling readers, including Torn and Wanted for Badger Learning.

Jenni has an Open University degree in English Language and Literature, a 500 metre swimming badge and a great recipe for chocolate brownies. She lives in Staffordshire with her husband and two children. She loves old photographs, picture books and tea, but is wary of manhole covers following an unfortunate incident.