Seven Days

A lot can happen in seven days. In Eve Ainsworth’s debut YA novel we meet Jess and Kez, both in year eight and we are introduced to a traumatic week in their lives. Taking turns as narrator, they each recount what happens during their week, including various confrontational and increasingly dramatic encounters between the two of them. Through their eyes we gain an interesting insight into the perspectives of both bully and victim. We learn about the challenging situations they each face on a daily basis at home and the way this has an impact on their behaviour at school. This is particularly poignant in the case of Kez; the ‘bully’ in this story who the reader discovers is a victim herself.

The author brings her own experience of working with teenagers with emotional and behavioural issues to her character portrayal and storytelling. She captures the voice of her two young narrators and builds their backgrounds very well. Themes include body image and its impact on self-esteem, popularity and manipulative peer group pressure, jealousy, drinking and domestic abuse, divorce and its effects on financial and emotional security. Within this story the potentially powerful role of social media as both a bullying tool and as a means of support is also explored. Incorporating extracts of instant messaging is a nice touch as are the ‘handwritten’ letters at the beginning and end of the story. Although the build up to the story climax (with Jess the victim suddenly gaining remarkable inner strength and compassion enabling her to save the day) feels a little rushed the outcome is satisfying and hopeful. A very good and highly relevant read for young teens which provides lots of food for thought.