Lou Out of Luck

Lou’s life is not going to plan: both of her parents are out of work (with awful consequences for her packed lunch), her best friend has been stolen away by the prom committee, and her boyfriend has been lost to debating club. Luckily, she has a new, second-best friend, with a disturbing fashion sense and a taste for taxidermy. What else could go wrong? As it turns out, a lot…

Lou is the millennial successor to Louise Rennison's fictional character, Georgia Nicolson. Her voice is droll, with a brand of humour that’s all her own, and which frequently takes hilarity to new, surreal levels. The plot holds the jokes together effectively, and Lou’s character – awkward, big-haired and touchingly certain that all she has to recommend her is her sense of humour – is likeable.

This would be a great choice for anyone looking for light summer reading that will make them laugh out loud on every page.