When Isla Meets Luke Meets Isla

The Bookseller:Teen Highlight for the AutumnA well-paced first novel from Rhian Tracey narrated by two powerful voices, Luke and Isla. Isla is ecstatic when she first leaves Scotland for England as it means leaving her tormentors behind. But she soon feels abandoned and lost. Fortunately she meets Luke and slowly their friendship develops into love. An entertaining summer read from a talented new writer.

Rhian Tracey has a remarkable memory for the intensity of teenage years - the need to belong and the awkwardness of first romance. Her characters are likeable, real and witty. A great start for a talented author.

Write Away! (internet review site) Bridget CarringtonThis is a first novel which presents the reader with a range of maturational and emotional situations, some of which will be familiar to most, while others, such as filial bereavement, thankfully far more rarely encountered. Writing in chapters which alternate between Isla and Luke's personal story, Rhian Tracey creates two believable, engaging characters whose experiences affect the reader deeply.

Review of 'When Isla meets Luke meets Isla' by Hannah Giffin, aged 14. "This book is fantastic. It is well written, it's good for teenagers andit has a lot of meaning. I found part of this book sad. This book uses alot of teenage language such as no! I think some people might find it quitehard reading it because of the teenage kind of slang. This book sounds likea proper teenage sort of situation with the boyfriend, younger sister andarguing with parents. When you read this book you can get clear picturesin your head of what's happening. The characters are well-described so youcan picture them in your head.I don't have any favourite characters.I would give this book 5 stars and 9/10 for it. I thought it was brilliant."

This is a top book for teenagers because it covers a male and female point of view equally, through the voices of Isla and Luke. There is a lot of humour in it, some bits made me laugh out loud, which is rare in a book.The general storyline is about Isla who moves from Scotland down to Maidstone to Luke's school where she feels an outsider and her parents are arguing and her sister gets on her nerves. Luke lives with his mum and his brother and has a problematic relationship with his dad.The way the two voices speak is open, honest and very genuine; they are real teenage voices, telling it how it really is, with nothing left out.They end up getting together then something awful happens, something you weren't expecting and it changes everything and this bit of the novel is so well written that you feel you are there with them, experiencing it, its very realistic.I really liked the way that Isla talks with a slight Scottish accent and Luke sounds like most lads and its interesting to see what most lads are like in private, what they really think.There is a sequel to this novel called `Isla and Luke make or break?' which comes out in January and I can't wait because the first book ends on a sort of cliff-hanger that really makes you want to read on.A cool first novel, funny sad, true and real.Highly recommended. Bloomsbury have obviously found another talent.