cover image Girl Out Loud

Girl Out Loud

Emily Gale. Scholastic/Chicken House, $17.99 (288p) ISBN 978-0-545-30438-2

Fifteen-year-old Kass Kennedy, her mother, and her brother are ruled by the whims of Kass’s father, who they fear has a mild form of bipolar disorder. Anything can set him off: when he’s “On The Up,” sudden passions take over (the latest: he wants Kass to audition for Simon Cowell’s X Factor TV talent show). And something as small as a news report about a murdered local man can trigger depressive “Gray Tracksuit Days,” which can stretch for weeks or months. From the start, British author Gale, in her first YA novel, skillfully establishes the frustrating and unpredictable home environment in which Kass and her family feel trapped. Worse, Kass has no one to turn to: she barely communicates with her mother and younger brother; Kass’s two best friends, Char and Izzy, shut her out when Char’s long-term crush, Cassian, shows an interest in Kass; and even Cassian isn’t the ray of hope Kass initially believes him to be. It’s an emotionally draining and at times melodramatic story—readers will have no trouble feeling Kass’s unrelenting anxiety—leavened (somewhat) by Kass’s sarcastic humor. Ages 12–16. (June)