Artichoke Hearts

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I liked to imagine that Jide is the mysterious loner boy in all these YA books only five years earlier.

When Mira's grandmother is dying she learns a lot about Nana Josie's life and catches a glimpse of the whole person she is, not just the part Mira knows of her.It was also good to be able to see how she acted around other people, especially family members who knew how ill she was. Mira is 12, and reaches puberty at exactly the point where her beloved, artistic grandmother enters the final stage of cancer.

The whole concept of bereavement and loss is handled very sensitively, yes there is sadness but it’s offset by Josie’s positivity the ripples of which affect all her loved ones. However, I still feel that 3 stars is enough because although the book is great and the characters are well thought out, it doesn't stand out to me as one of the best books I've read, and it was only really moving in a few parts. The relationship between Mira and Nana Josie is touching and realistic, in fact all of the relationships in this book feel that way. You could tell when Mira was really comfortable with someone, like her Nana, because then you got to see a really special side to her. I thought the teacher who was giving extra lessons to some of the children at the school was a good attempt at showing how important it is to listen and support teenagers.I also really enjoyed Mira’s friendship with her wise, kind writing teacher Pat Print, and her relationships with her siblings, parents and best friend Millie. She loves them all, but sometimes it feels like nothing is private and there's nowhere for Mira to just be herself.