Mates Dates and Sleepover Secrets - Cathy Hopkins

_Mates, Dates and Sleepover Secrets_
_Cathy Hopkins_

The book was published in 2002 by Piccadilly Press Ltd.

'''A bit about the author'''
Cathy Hopkins was born in Manchester but grew up in Kenya from the ages five to eleven. She started writing teenage fiction in the year 2000.
(To find out more visit www.cathyhopkins.com)

'''When/ Why did I buy the book?'''
I bought the book ...
...I was about ten years old. I actually bought the book from a car boot sale, I think it was about 10p!! Which is an absolute bargain as the book is fantastic and I still read it now.
I'm not really sure why I bought it, it obviously must have just caught my eye through all the usual junk you find at a car boot sale. They say don't judge a book by its cover, well everyone does don't they. I think I judged this book by its cover and rightly so ... more

Mates, Dates and Sleepover Secrets
Cathy Hopkins

The book was published in 2002 by Piccadilly Press Ltd.

A bit about the author
Cathy Hopkins was born in Manchester but grew up in Kenya from the ages five to eleven. She started writing teenage fiction in the year 2000.
(To find out more visit www.cathyhopkins.com)

When/ Why did I buy the book?
I bought the book a good few years ago, I'd say about five, when I was about ten years old. I actually bought the book from a car boot sale, I think it was about 10p!! Which is an absolute bargain as the book is fantastic and I still read it now.
I'm not really sure why I bought it, it obviously must have just caught my eye through all the usual junk you find at a car boot sale. They say don't judge a book by its cover, well everyone does don't they. I think I judged this book by its cover and rightly so as I thought it looked good and it was.
The book is part of a series, its the fourth one out of about twelve, and I bought the first three with it, although I didn't realise at the time and read them all in the wrong order! - I don't think it matters though, I still thoroughly enjoyed all of them.

Who are the main characters in the book?
The main characters in the book are four young teenage girls. Their names are Nesta, Izzie, Lucy and the new main character we meet in Mates, Dates and Sleepover Secrets, TJ.
Nesta - Nesta is mad about boys and full of tips about how to impress them. She has an older brother called Tony who is with a different girl every night and full of himself.
Izzie - Izzie is intelligent, always looking up horoscopes and interested in starsigns. She lives with her strict mum and hopeless stepdad.
Lucy - Lucy is quiet and the kindest of all the girls. She lives with her hippyish mum and dad, two older brothers, and two dogs.
TJ- Her real name is Theresa Joanne and in the book it turns out she is having a difficult year as her best friend has just moved to another country and she is left on her own. She lives with her ancient mum and dad who never understand her, and her brother, who seems like the only person she has left to talk to, is also moving away. Also, she can never get a boyfriend as boys only ever seem to talk to her like a mate.

What happens in the book?
The book is all about TJ. She is feeling more alone than ever. Luckily Lucy comes along and befriends her, but at first Nesta and Izzie aren't as friendly with her as Lucy is. This causes a row between the four of them at first, but the other two soon warm up to TJ and before long they're all best friends.
In the book Lucy, Izzie and Nesta help TJ to be herself and the best she can be. She is a keen writer, they discover, and becomes joint editor of the school magazine. Her new friends help her to go from boyish to 'babe with brains' as she calls herself in her new email address.
Mainly the book is about how TJ finds confidence and how to be herself.

Who is the book suitable for?
I think the book is most suitable for young teenagers, as the girls are all about fourteen. There is no swearing in the book however they do talk about boys quite a lot. As the book is about four girls I can't really see a boy enjoying and haven't ever heard of any boys reading it so I would say it is most suitable for young teenage girls.

Prices
The price on the back of my copy of the book is £5.99 however I'm sure you could buy it for a lot cheaper for example I managed to get it for 10p at a car boot sale!! You can get it from a local bookshop or you could probably buy it cheaper at amazon.com or ebay.co.uk.
If you didn't want to buy it you could always borrow it from a local library.

Would I recommend the book?
Yes, I would recommend the book as it is something I have read many times and thoroughly enjoyed it each time I have read it. The first time I read it I remember I could'nt put it down it is such a good read for young teenage girls. 

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