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Ask Amy Green #1
Ask Amy Green: Boy Trouble
When Amy Green's seventeen-year-old Aunt Clover lands a dream job giving advice for teen mag 'The Goss' Amy quickly realizes that this is no ordinary column. But when Amy falls for the cute boy in her art class, she finds she's in need of a little help of her own.
234 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
34 people are currently reading
405 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Webb
100 books168 followersSarah Webb is an award-winning children’s writer. Her books include Blazing a Trail: Irish Women who Changed the World (illustrated by Lauren O’Neill) and A Sailor Went to Sea, Sea, Sea: Favourite Rhymes from an Irish Childhood (illustrated by Steve McCarthy), both winners of Irish Book Awards.
Sarah also runs creative writing clubs for children and teens, reviews children’s books for the Irish Independent, and programmes children’s and family events for book festivals and MoLI (Museum of Literature Ireland). She also works part-time in a children’s bookshop.
Sarah is passionate about bringing children and books together and was awarded the Children’s Books Ireland Award for Outstanding Contribution to Children’s Books in Ireland.
Her latest book, The Little Beekeeper of Henrietta Street (illustrated by Rachel Corcoran) was published in 2021.
www.sarahwebb.ie
Twitter: @sarahwebbishere
Instagram: @sarahwebbwriter
Sarah also runs creative writing clubs for children and teens, reviews children’s books for the Irish Independent, and programmes children’s and family events for book festivals and MoLI (Museum of Literature Ireland). She also works part-time in a children’s bookshop.
Sarah is passionate about bringing children and books together and was awarded the Children’s Books Ireland Award for Outstanding Contribution to Children’s Books in Ireland.
Her latest book, The Little Beekeeper of Henrietta Street (illustrated by Rachel Corcoran) was published in 2021.
www.sarahwebb.ie
Twitter: @sarahwebbishere
Instagram: @sarahwebbwriter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
May 12, 2011
Amy lives in Ireland with her Mum and her Mum's boyfriend Dave, and her two half siblings, both of whom are babies. Life has been hectic for Amy since her parent's divorce. Her Dad cheated on her Mum and he now lives with his girlfriend Shelley, who is unbearable to Amy. The babies take up the whole house and a good part of Amy's time. Amy is the go-to babysitter, especially when Mum is losing her mind. The good news for Amy is she has a young, cool aunt named Clover, who is seventeen. Clover often whips over in her Mini-Cooper and saves the day for Amy. Clover has recently found a job at the cool magazine, Goss. She is writing a self-help column. The only problem is, she can't answer many of these pleas for help herself. That is where Amy steps in. For a thirteen year old, Amy is quite grounded and often has good, solid advice for the hopeless teenagers out there.
But Amy's main issue is her best friend Mills. Mills and Amy live next door to each other and have been friends forever, but then Sophie came along. Sophie views Amy as dead weight in their quest to be a part of the popular crowd and turns Mills against Amy. Amy stays true to herself and her values, and what do you know? Mills comes back when she realizes how shallow Sophie is. Amy also starts her first romance in this novel with emo (punk rocker to us Americans) Seth and has her first kiss.
This story is engaging, mostly funny and light with a side of good values and lessons on friendship and peer pressure. Amy is a really terrific character. Author, Sarah Webb, has done a great job drawing all the characters in this book and keeping an exciting plot moving right along. This is perfect for your (older) tween reader who likes realistic fiction with a bit of romance thrown in. It would be a nice, relaxing read after they finish their studies, but it will also make them think about how to solve their own problems. It would also be great by the pool or on any beach, too!
But Amy's main issue is her best friend Mills. Mills and Amy live next door to each other and have been friends forever, but then Sophie came along. Sophie views Amy as dead weight in their quest to be a part of the popular crowd and turns Mills against Amy. Amy stays true to herself and her values, and what do you know? Mills comes back when she realizes how shallow Sophie is. Amy also starts her first romance in this novel with emo (punk rocker to us Americans) Seth and has her first kiss.
This story is engaging, mostly funny and light with a side of good values and lessons on friendship and peer pressure. Amy is a really terrific character. Author, Sarah Webb, has done a great job drawing all the characters in this book and keeping an exciting plot moving right along. This is perfect for your (older) tween reader who likes realistic fiction with a bit of romance thrown in. It would be a nice, relaxing read after they finish their studies, but it will also make them think about how to solve their own problems. It would also be great by the pool or on any beach, too!
March 5, 2015
Oh girl, where were you when I was a teen? This is fun with deep heart and a lot to say. It's a YA book set in Ireland and has all the drama and growing pains ready to be poured over. It touches on divorce, growing pains, and family so even though it's fun it also has a serious side and this contrast works so well. I loved LOVED the magazine, The Goss. Great read.
August 29, 2012
Sarah Webb is my favourite author and I can also relate to the story because not only I'm Irish, myself and Amy are the same age! The font is cool aswell
March 12, 2013
Got this free in a magazine and decided to give it a go. It wasn't half bad, in fact, if I was a little younger I would have loved it.
July 14, 2013
It is very good and I really enjoyed it. Now looking for the rest in the series!!
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March 12, 2014The book is really fun and it's enter gaining my sister likes it
April 15, 2014
IT WAS LOVEY DOVEY AND MATURE AND I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!!!! :) :D :):D <3 <3 <3 <3
May 24, 2019
It would have been incredibly helpful if I'd known their was a GLOSSARY in the back of the book when I started this, as there was a lot I didn't understand. What's Bebo? Some old defunct social media website. The rest of the stuff in the glossary is either teen or Irish slang terms.
It took me until Chapter 5 before I even cared about the main character enough to want to finish the book. The Aunt Agony bit is frustrating. If you write to an advice column you expect to be given advice, not have someone physically step in to take care of your problem. It was a bit odd.
It took me until Chapter 5 before I even cared about the main character enough to want to finish the book. The Aunt Agony bit is frustrating. If you write to an advice column you expect to be given advice, not have someone physically step in to take care of your problem. It was a bit odd.
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December 30, 2020BTSYA / Teen Reader (15): The relatable teenage drama in this story will make Boy Trouble captivating to many teen readers. I love how the author develops normal problems that teenagers have and make them so personal and unique. I also love how different Amy and Clover are.
What else does our teen reviewer like?It's all right here.
What else does our teen reviewer like?It's all right here.
July 3, 2018
A nice and easy read that didn’t take that much concentration. I liked that it spoke about Amy’s school life , home life and friendship so if one gets boring , it isn’t long until you can read about the next part. However, I would have liked to have read a lot more of the Agony Aunt letters seeing as it was one of the main features of the story and was included in the blurb/synopsis.
November 6, 2018
Cute YA story set in Ireland. The 13-year-old heroine has trouble with her friends, and her divorced parents are being all weird, having new babies and marrying other people and stuff. And there's this boy she likes... The author's voice is a fun one, making the story a pleasure to read. It's fun and PG-13, except for kissing and parents doing embarrassing things. I got a kick out of it.
January 24, 2021
Hilarious, adorable, and explains probably every single teenage girls worries about romance. Not me, im good, i will experience romance in my books 😌😌 I think i also liked the author- she sounded really nice. Now i want to meet the nice lady who wrote this book. Not cuz she wrote this, but cuz she seems like a nice person.
January 11, 2020
Really good book
June 19, 2020
a nice and cozy read
April 25, 2024
3,75⭐️
November 22, 2025
À fun little read.
June 10, 2021
It was okay read but I feel is was too young for taste and the charachers are likable but I didn't really about also they were bit dull and flat. I realy didn't like the cover of book. I found bit of story boring but it was both a quick and easy read.
April 10, 2020
I found this book in a charity shop round the corner from my Grannie’s house when I was eleven or twelve. I had eaten my way through various other girly books and expected this to be the same, but not as good as my last set The Princess Diaries. I was sorely mistaken.
I was only in 6th class so Amy felt so grown up living life in Dublin at secondary school. It felt just as different as all those other books I’d read set in England and America but Amy was IRISH just like me and that was important. I’m also the oldest child with a big gap and related a lot to Amy’s babysitting moaning (she gets paid?? I never got paid except once with a packet of pink tictacs that my brother found and ate). I immediately loved Clover - she’s just so wild and interesting.
I’ve read the set so many times now that I can quote passages from this book on demand. It’s definitely a well loved favourite, and every time I re-read it I find a new reason why Seth and I are similar. I didn’t exactly mean to name myself after him but it’s not a bad thing either.
I started my journey with Amy when I was younger than her and the last time I read it, I was Clover's age (it made me wonder who let her do the things she did), now I’m in college studying writing. I effectively grew up with Amy and it honestly changed my life. There are so many things I’ve tried (music, art, books) only because Amy likes them - still not a big fan of pi though. That didn’t rub off on me. Pie however is a different story...
I picked this book up expecting a bog standard teen girl book but got so much more, a far more realistic life of a thirteen year old than I expected.
(It also feels important to note that Sarah Webb herself commented on a post I made on Instagram which was a moodboard I’d made for Seth. I was very happy and it still feels slightly unreal)
I was only in 6th class so Amy felt so grown up living life in Dublin at secondary school. It felt just as different as all those other books I’d read set in England and America but Amy was IRISH just like me and that was important. I’m also the oldest child with a big gap and related a lot to Amy’s babysitting moaning (she gets paid?? I never got paid except once with a packet of pink tictacs that my brother found and ate). I immediately loved Clover - she’s just so wild and interesting.
I’ve read the set so many times now that I can quote passages from this book on demand. It’s definitely a well loved favourite, and every time I re-read it I find a new reason why Seth and I are similar. I didn’t exactly mean to name myself after him but it’s not a bad thing either.
I started my journey with Amy when I was younger than her and the last time I read it, I was Clover's age (it made me wonder who let her do the things she did), now I’m in college studying writing. I effectively grew up with Amy and it honestly changed my life. There are so many things I’ve tried (music, art, books) only because Amy likes them - still not a big fan of pi though. That didn’t rub off on me. Pie however is a different story...
I picked this book up expecting a bog standard teen girl book but got so much more, a far more realistic life of a thirteen year old than I expected.
(It also feels important to note that Sarah Webb herself commented on a post I made on Instagram which was a moodboard I’d made for Seth. I was very happy and it still feels slightly unreal)
December 2, 2011
Ask Amy Green: Boy Trouble
by Sarah Webb
Amy and Clover decide to shake things up at a local magazine, The Goss, by offering the kind of advice we’d all like to hear from a “Dear Abby” column—don’t get mad, get even! Amy and Clover’s crazy antics move this funny work of “chic-lit” forward, but it’s not all just fun and games. Amy has real problems; her mom and boyfriend live together and have two babies to take care of, often demanding Amy’s help. Amy’s dad ran off with his secretary (a woman half his age) to live in a lint-free house where Amy doesn’t feel welcome. And to make things worse, Amy’s BFF seems to be running with a more popular crowd. How much drama can Amy take before she starts writing to The Goss for advice to solve her own problems? Set in Ireland, you can almost hear the Irish lilt bouncing off the pages, adding interest and charm to the story. But it’s a universal tale that everyone can identify with—I mean, who among us hasn’t had a mysterious boyfriend, been burned by a best friend, had divorced parents, annoying siblings, and one crazy, crazy relative? Webb’s tale is a satisfying, fun adventure. If you want my advice, you should read it!
by Sarah Webb
Amy and Clover decide to shake things up at a local magazine, The Goss, by offering the kind of advice we’d all like to hear from a “Dear Abby” column—don’t get mad, get even! Amy and Clover’s crazy antics move this funny work of “chic-lit” forward, but it’s not all just fun and games. Amy has real problems; her mom and boyfriend live together and have two babies to take care of, often demanding Amy’s help. Amy’s dad ran off with his secretary (a woman half his age) to live in a lint-free house where Amy doesn’t feel welcome. And to make things worse, Amy’s BFF seems to be running with a more popular crowd. How much drama can Amy take before she starts writing to The Goss for advice to solve her own problems? Set in Ireland, you can almost hear the Irish lilt bouncing off the pages, adding interest and charm to the story. But it’s a universal tale that everyone can identify with—I mean, who among us hasn’t had a mysterious boyfriend, been burned by a best friend, had divorced parents, annoying siblings, and one crazy, crazy relative? Webb’s tale is a satisfying, fun adventure. If you want my advice, you should read it!
August 9, 2010
I received this book from Goodreads First Reads. The premise of the story is thirteen-year-old Amy Green helps her aunt Clover with her advice column for teen mag The Goss. Yet, instead of answering the “Dear Abby” questions presented by teen girls the two immerse themselves in solving the problems. The story does a wonderful job of depicting high school clics, touches on fashion, and highlights some of the meanness of high school. It is truly a story of growing up, the meaning of friendship and finding yourself. It was fun to see the relationship between Amy and Clover as well as Amy and Seth develop. The story will leave the reader with a “feel all melty inside, like ice cream on a hot day.”
December 6, 2015
Firstly, I would recommend this book to girls who enjoy a sort of 'rom-com'. I thought this book was fantastic even though I am not a girly girl. It is about a girl named Amy who basically decides she fancies this guy from school and she is worried what everyone will think of her as he is not popular.
She splits up with her friend and it takes them a while to get back terms with each other. I am not going to completely give the story away so i am going to round up my opinion on the book, I have read two of the books in the series and I can say that it is the first time I have actually enjoyed reading, so if you are not a keen reader and are a girl around 12-14 years old, I would really suggest reading this book and I am sure you will become keen to read the others.
She splits up with her friend and it takes them a while to get back terms with each other. I am not going to completely give the story away so i am going to round up my opinion on the book, I have read two of the books in the series and I can say that it is the first time I have actually enjoyed reading, so if you are not a keen reader and are a girl around 12-14 years old, I would really suggest reading this book and I am sure you will become keen to read the others.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2017
Ask Amy Green is a nice book, it has a fairly good storyline and Sarah Webb has created some likeable characters with issues that the audience can relate to. My issue is that I didn't find it very believable. I'm not sure how many thirteen year old girls really use words like 'titter' or 'smidgen'. There were a few too many 'yikes' and 'jeepers' for it to read true. Other than the occasional reminder of the authors real age, it was an easy read. I'd give this book a middle of the road 2.5 stars.
August 29, 2014
Amy is a 13 year old girl who at times is more adult than the adults! The book (which is the first in the series) is filled with the everyday drama of growing up in a loving, but at times, dysfunctional blended family. Funny and lighthearted reading. Like reads would be the Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell, Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot, and Traveling Pants series by Ann Brashares.
Ages 11-15
Young Adult
Ages 11-15
Young Adult
November 3, 2016
Super! Hilarious!
I literally laughed out loud sometimes! That doesn't happen a lot as I am normally not such a big fan of this kind of books. But I fully enjoyed reading this book! Especially Clover! She is such an amazing girl, always finding ways to cheer people up. I certainlywould recommend it to every single girl because this is a typical girls book, but one of the best ones I have read so far!
I literally laughed out loud sometimes! That doesn't happen a lot as I am normally not such a big fan of this kind of books. But I fully enjoyed reading this book! Especially Clover! She is such an amazing girl, always finding ways to cheer people up. I certainlywould recommend it to every single girl because this is a typical girls book, but one of the best ones I have read so far!
June 7, 2014
This book reminded me a lot of the writing of Louise Rennison. It chronicle's the life of teenager Amy Green: her first real bra, her first kiss, and trouble with friends and family. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel. The author is Irish, and it was fun to read a book filled with Irish phrases.
April 10, 2011
A fun audio about 13-year-old Amy and her struggles with her changing friendships (including a boy) and with her divorced parents, and their new partners and babies. Amy is helped by her amazingly sophisticated 17-year-old aunt. The great Irish accents spice up the story.
August 9, 2013
I found it very intriguing, although some parts made my interest drop, it was an exquisite story! I do like the take on Amy's point of view, how she reacts to Dave, Shelly, and the new families and various bumps in the road. All in all, a great book!
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November 1, 2013Brilliant book I love these tipe of books they're so addictive and when I finished the book and I looked up I didn't know where I was because it was like I was in the story so out of ten I give it 100 seriously read this book!!!
April 22, 2011
Picked this up because it's set in Ireland. It was fun for me to read about some of the places I visited there and the lingo I heard. A fairly predictable storyline with a few interesting twists.
July 7, 2011
Fun YA escapism, but with a lot of heart. A few scenes made me a tear up, and it's excellent bibliotherapy for the adult with family baggage (ahem).
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews