Zena Barrie – Your Friend Forever

‘Your Friend Forever’ by Zena Barrie is contemporary fiction/humorous fiction too for me. This book took me right back to being a teenager and reading ‘The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole 13 3/4.

This book begins in 1981and we are introduced to Maud a thirteen-year-old girl who writes to the lead singer of her favourite group, Horsefly. She proceeds to bare her soul to Tom. We see her teenage ups and downs. My heart went out to her quite a few times, we see her parents split up and her dad leaves. If that’s not enough the house is full of damp, food is scarce and her mum struggles on. One of the funny parts is the fact that Maud insists upon explaining words she has uses in her letters; even though Tom is an adult and older than her.

We also keep up to date with what is going on in Tom’s life by showing us the publicity stuff he does. We can sort of get a feel for the man but have to remember Maud is thirteen and he is her idol.

The second part of the book is now in 2011, we see Maud married with children roughly the same age as she was when she began writing to Tom. In a twist of fate, her friend has found Tom’s email address and maud decides to email him as she wrote to him all those years ago. Again Maude treats Tom to her letter-writing again. He is bestowed with her life again but this time by email. She uses her emails to Tom as an unloading exercise almost. She tells him her dreams, her life and everything in between.

A book that held every emotion for me, I smiled, chuckled and also felt the poignancy of Maud’s words and they show just how adults actions can impact a child. I felt sad and my heartstrings were being pulled all the way through. A powerful story that I personally think is as unique as it could get (apart from good old Adrian).

Thanks to Damp Pebbles Blog Tours and Unbound Digital for the copy of the book.