Fifteen and Screaming

by Fleur Beale

Mum was sick, Jude was crazy and Gina was nuts. Life was one huge bundle of laughs. Lily has a crushing load of problems to cope with for someone of just 15, but there are a few light spots - friends and help can come from surprising quarters.

252 pages, Paperback

First published October 31, 1996

About the author

Fleur Beale is the author of many award-winning books for children and young adults, best known for her novel I am not Esther which has been published worldwide.

Beale was one of six children of a dairy farmer Cedric Corney and of a teacher and author Estelle Corney (née Cook). She was born in Inglewood, Taranaki, New Zealand, on the farm where her father was born. Beale grew up in the town before attending Victoria University, Wellington and Christchurch Teachers' Training College, where she met her husband. Since 1985 she has taught at Melville High School in Hamilton, Waikato and in Wellington. Beale's first stories were written for the children's radio programme Grandpa's Place. Her first book was a small reader and picture book for young children and she started to write for teenagers in 1993. Her stories often involve troubled adolescents engaged in outdoor activities.

Beale was a finalist in the Aim Children's Book Awards (junior fiction) and her 1998 novel I am not Esther was shortlisted for the senior fiction section of the 1999 New Zealand Post Children's Awards. In 1999 she was awarded the Children's Writing Fellowship at Dunedin College of Education and quit teaching to write full time. Her 2001 novel Ambushed was a finalist for the Junior Fiction section of the 2002 New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards. Her 2004 account of how an indigenous girl discovers how her education can save her tribal lands (My Story A New Song in the Land. The Writings of Atapo, Pahia, c.1840) received a Notable Book award in 2005 as did Walking Lightly.

Reviews

[Lara Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit, I got this book among 23 others that I picked up for a dollar from my library at school and didn't have high hopes for it. It's almost 20 years old and didn't look to be much.
I was - however - pleasantly surprised by this book. It has a lot more to offer than you would think and it just goes to show that the phrase 'don't judge a book by its cover' is always a good thing to keep in mind when reading books.
Fifteen and Screaming by Fleur Beale is a New Zealand based book by a New Zealand author and tells the story of 14 year old Elizabeth Marianne Pratt (or 'Lily') who has responsibility thrust suddenly upon her when her mother becomes seriously ill.
Living on benefits, Lily has to learn to take care of her 7 year old sister, learn to cook, clean, manage money problems and care for her mother - all the while dealing with normal teen problems such as having freedom, going to party's, sex, friend problems and keeping up with her school work, making life very difficult and stressful for such a young girl.
When I was reading this, I couldn't help thinking that I am almost to the stage of my life where I will be moving out of my family home and living by myself, paying bills, going to University, etc., and I don't think I would be able to cope with and face the struggles that a 14 year old does in this book. It also reminded me that this is not at all unrealistic. There are many young adults and children all over the world that have to take on these responsibilities because they have parents who can't.
Not only is this book well written, but it also highlights some very good points and was a really enjoyable read. I highly recommend this book!!
4/5 stars for Fleur Beale.

[Funaki · Rating 4 out of 5]

i liked this so much. espicially how the girl takes charge once her mum gets sick and all these problems pop up