It's just been Gemma and her mum for as long as Gem can remember. They live on a tight budget whilst her mum is training to be a nurse and working in the local supermarket, but they are happy. Gemma's never known the reason why her mum fell out with her family, but when her mum gets the chance to go on a cruise for a month, Gemma sees this as the perfect opportunity to uncover the truth, so she heads to stay with her Uncle Joe. Strange at first, Gemma doesn't know Joe but he tries hard, including signing her up for the tennis camp and buying her kit. However, it's not long before she realises that everyone else seems to know something she doesn't. Family secrets can't stay hidden forever but will the past be what Gemma was expecting?
Gemma makes friends quickly when she's at Joe's and enjoys tennis camp, despite having never played before. She also loves getting to know Joe as well as seeing her Gran again. All she wants is to bring her family back together and, as the truth unfolds, this will affect the relationships between them; she just doesn't know how.
Knowing The Score is an immersive read and I quickly found myself swept up in Gemma's life - she's relatable and readers will like her. They'll also like Joe who is doing his best to make up for lost time. This book is the sort of real-world story that the kids at school devour and love. Just like Digger And Me (review), and Every Cloud (review), family and friendships are at the heart of this story and weave together wonderfully, and with short chapters, this is a book that begs you to read 'just one more chapter'! I know that Knowing The Score has already caught the eye of some of my class and I'm not expecting it to last more than a few seconds on Monday morning before it is whisked away to be read.
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