Hannah

Girls Like You #1

by Kate Petty

Four girls, four lives, one summer. It was Maddy's idea that all four of them should have holiday romances and report back at the end of the summer. This is the story of Hannah, the shy, clever one, who decides that boys aren't worth bothering about—or are they?

Genres: Young Adult

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Kate Petty was a British children's author and former editor whose engaging nonfiction books combined education with interactive pop-ups and movable features. Best known for The Great Grammar Book, she wrote nearly 100 titles, inspiring young readers through accessible learning.

Reviews

[Caitriona · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the 'Girls Like You Quartet', as it's known, there is no specific reading order - so you can get away with reading the four books in any order you choose. When I first read them at 12, I started with 'Hannah' - so, re-reading them at 16, I decided to start with her again.

The books follow four best friends - Hannah, Sophie, Charlotte and Maddy - who make a deal to have summer romances, wherever they go on holiday, and report back towards the end. Hannah is going to a summer music course (she plays flute and piccolo), which turns out to be far more eventful than she first imagined.

Hannah's is one of two 'Girls Like You' stories I actually really like. It is, like the other three, terribly fluffy and romantic, but who cares? That's what you read them for! No, what makes 'Hannah' story special is...well, Hannah. I can't identify with her personally, what with her being rich and having seemingly indifferent parents and playing instruments and all, but I know many people like her, seeing as I go to a well-to-do all-girls school, like she does. It was nice to have a protagonist with more than a little bit of brains in her head. True, when she fell in love with Donnie on the course and complications arose, she was prone to crying - but I'm not one to criticise, since I'd be the very same.

Aside from a sometimes convoluted plot, 'Hannah' is one of the best of the 'Girls Like You Quartet'. Be warned though - I'm re-reading all four books, and I certainly won't be bestowing four-star ratings among all of them!

[Felicity · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was struggling to read so decided to reread a series I have owned since I was in my early teens.
My grandmother bought me this book when I was 10 and it is one of the best of the series.

Hannah is a studious girl who goes to a different school to her 3 best friends. She feels that her parents expect a lot from her but that they don't always give her their time and attention. She goes to a sleepover at the end of term where she catches up with her 3 best friends and one of them makes a pact that they all have to have a holiday romance.

Hannah doesn't fancy her chances as she is shy and is going on a music course for 10 days as she is a talented flautist. However she does fall for someone but there are complications.

I really enjoyed re-reading this and loved the 90s nostalgia (no phones etc!) Kate Petty somehow manages to give the holiday romance plot a genuine touch and doesn't make it cheesy. It helps that Hannah is a slightly awkward teenager who is working out who she is and what she wants. The perfect book to help me out of my reading slump.