Willow is in Year 6 and always feels like she doesn't quite fit in. Instead, she loves nothing more than spending time with her Nana and together they enjoying watching old films. But when Willow's Nana dies, she is left feeling more alone than ever. Then her mum decides to send her to an after school club in the local book shop to help get her through her SATs and suddenly she finds that she is making friends. There's just one catch: in order to be accepted into the group, she needs to get involved with some 'fun dares'. At first, it feels ok, but as the dares get bigger, Willow begins to question what is happening and whether fitting in is worth it.
The After School Crime Club is the sort of book that I love to read and one that always goes down well at school, so when it arrived in the post last week, it jumped to the top of my reading pile.
Willow is a character that many readers will identify with; she doesn't feel like she fits in at school, she sits alone when eating her lunch and there are children in her class she's never spoken to. She generally feels a bit lost and finds the time with her Nana is when she feels herself. She can talk to her and she loves nothing more than getting lost in an old film - the references to films like Singin In The Rain are wonderful. Finding it difficult to accept that her Nana has gone, Willow continues to visit her house and uses it as an escape. The After School Club isn't something she's looking forward to but the group she meets there quickly change her mind. However, things take a darker turn when Willow finds that she needs to complete dares in order to be accepted. Things spiral and Willow finds herself in situations she doesn't want to be in, and without her Nana to talk to, she feels that she is loosing herself.
The theme of friendship is explored in detail in this book and will make readers question what makes a good friend as well as how far you should go to keep a friend. The balance between wanting to fit in and changing who you are will make an interesting discussion point in school, including how to get out situations you may find yourself in and don't want to be. As well as that, the moral aspect of what defines stealing and whether it is ever right to take things is a thought-provoking one that is highlighted in the book. I have to admit that I felt uncomfortable at times when reading the book as I just wanted to dive into the plot and help Willow; I found my stomach churning as I imagined myself in Willow' situation. The After School Crime Club would make an amazing class read and perfect to explore so many different PSHE topics (family relationships; single parents and new partners; grief; friendships; moral dilemmas).
Publishing on the 3rd August, The After School Crime Club is the perfect read for fans of Tamsin Winter's books and will definitely be in the pile of books I offer to my new class in September when they chose their first reading for pleasure book.
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