What do you think?
Last Girl In: Kerry-Ann Fights to Stay in the Game
Kerry-Ann Taylor loves cricket. It’s in her blood – in the 1950s her grandad arrived in England from Jamaica with just two things: a box of vinyls and his precious cricket bat. Whenever she can, Kerry-Ann heads to her local ground for matches, practice, and fun with her best friend, Amardeep. But now there’s a problem. The new club rules state that from next summer, the over 13s team will be strictly boys only … which means there'll be no place for Kerry-Ann. But Kerry-Ann is determined to carry on playing cricket with her friends. So she devises a daring plan to stay in the game she loves. And unbeknownst to her, she’s about to get some help from her grandad’s precious cricket bat – which has a lot more to it than meets the eye …
Paperback
First published April 27, 23
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 4, 2024
I read this book as I am looking for more books with central female characters for my classroom and it sure did deliver! Kerry-Ann is such a strong female character who breaks from the norm but you can still see yourself reflected in her and her struggles for equality at the cricket club.
Parkinson handles the issue of racism with such grace; not shying away from it and weaving it in beautifully to the story. I found the character of the grandfather and his friends particularly interesting, especially as the time travel element meant we got to explore his character and the lives of his friends in much more depth.
Even though there is time travel the story feels very real and true to the experiences of so many and I think that is what makes it so powerful; you feel like you know Kerry-Ann and her family, as if they’re your neighbours or friends.
It’s a story about standing up for yourself, finding common ground and family and I loved it from beginning to end. I’m very excited to order some copies for my classroom.
Parkinson handles the issue of racism with such grace; not shying away from it and weaving it in beautifully to the story. I found the character of the grandfather and his friends particularly interesting, especially as the time travel element meant we got to explore his character and the lives of his friends in much more depth.
Even though there is time travel the story feels very real and true to the experiences of so many and I think that is what makes it so powerful; you feel like you know Kerry-Ann and her family, as if they’re your neighbours or friends.
It’s a story about standing up for yourself, finding common ground and family and I loved it from beginning to end. I’m very excited to order some copies for my classroom.
August 20, 2023
An engaging and heartfelt novel that explores themes of resilience and human connection. With its well-developed characters and thought-provoking narrative, the book kept me captivated from start to finish. The book skillfully delves into the emotions and struggles of the characters, making their journeys relatable and touching. This is a must-read for anyone seeking a story that combines personal growth and a sense of hope.
October 24, 2023
Last Girl In is about a girl who was 'last in' in her cricket club and so possibly would be the first one to get kicked out! All because she was a girl! This is a story where the boys were trying to take over, and its the girl who had to fight for her spot in the cricket club.
The story is about a girl who has an amazing drive to continue playing cricket and proving herself as a skilled player since she will soon be no longer welcome in the club. She plays her most important match yet against her rivalry (Moose) and sticks her ground when playing against them.
The book was an enjoyable read with an entertaining story line. I loved the competition she had with the older school boys and the passion she had for the sport. I liked the use of Jamaican Patois throughout the book and the side characters helped make this book even better, especially Kerry-Anne's grandfather as he helps her prepare for her match. I particularly enjoyed the time travelling part as it was unique and entertaining to read. I also liked her friendship with Amardeep which added some humour.
The way the writer wrote the story really draws the reader in and could definitely inspire others to participate in cricket!
Overall the way the writer presented the story was executed perfectly and would certainly recommend this book to young audiences at around 10-13 years old.
The story is about a girl who has an amazing drive to continue playing cricket and proving herself as a skilled player since she will soon be no longer welcome in the club. She plays her most important match yet against her rivalry (Moose) and sticks her ground when playing against them.
The book was an enjoyable read with an entertaining story line. I loved the competition she had with the older school boys and the passion she had for the sport. I liked the use of Jamaican Patois throughout the book and the side characters helped make this book even better, especially Kerry-Anne's grandfather as he helps her prepare for her match. I particularly enjoyed the time travelling part as it was unique and entertaining to read. I also liked her friendship with Amardeep which added some humour.
The way the writer wrote the story really draws the reader in and could definitely inspire others to participate in cricket!
Overall the way the writer presented the story was executed perfectly and would certainly recommend this book to young audiences at around 10-13 years old.
October 27, 2023
Last girl in is a story about a girl called Kerry-Ann and how her love for cricket drives her to overcome her rivals in the boys cricket club. This conflict between her and one particular member forms the basis of the story.
Cricket is even in Kerry-Ann's family with her grandad loving cricket just as much as her. Kerry-Ann even manages to uncover what it was like for her grandad in his childhood.
The use of Jamaican culture in the story adds a feeling of realness to the characters like you'd see Kerry-Ann walking down the street.
Overall the story is relatively short at around 200 pages but the story will stick in your mind for long after. I personally would reccomend this book for anyone even if they're not interested in cricket
Cricket is even in Kerry-Ann's family with her grandad loving cricket just as much as her. Kerry-Ann even manages to uncover what it was like for her grandad in his childhood.
The use of Jamaican culture in the story adds a feeling of realness to the characters like you'd see Kerry-Ann walking down the street.
Overall the story is relatively short at around 200 pages but the story will stick in your mind for long after. I personally would reccomend this book for anyone even if they're not interested in cricket
May 17, 2024
Compact story about Kerry-Ann's love for cricket - and fairness for girls to play too! Great messages, good insight into her family life and a big unexpected twist which changed up the genre too. Protagonist is 12/13 but I would suggest it's a good read for middle grade instead. Short enough with clipped chapters too fo a reluctant reader.
June 21, 2023
Last girl in is a really good book and I recommend to everyone. Its an amazing book about cricket and I enjoyed reading it. Kerry-Ann is a great character and I loved her personality and enthusiasm to playing cricket.
August 18, 2023
From just reading the first chapter I am hooked... It's such an easy read, very enjoyable 😉. From experience of bullying, the book is something close to my heart but it a new way and different background.. So easy to understand, really feel for Kerry-Ann as if she is a close friend.
July 30, 2023
Last Girl In is a different kind of story about how women/girls have to fight to stay included within male dominated areas. In this book, though, Kerry-Ann wins. Kind of.
What is really good about this book for me was the time travelling bit. There's that saying that we are great because we stand upon the shoulders of our forefathers. Kerry-Ann literally goes back in time and meets a younger version of her grandfather and learns how hard London was for a black man at that time.
She gets involved in the London riots and learns how people of colour literally earned their place in London.
It also makes you consider how black people came over on the Windrush from British owned Jamaica. I learnt some things from this book that I didn't know before - which is always a good thing. I'd definitely recommend this book for everyone, especially girls. It is an empowering story that makes you believe girls can do anything boys can. Which, of course, is 100% true. :)
What is really good about this book for me was the time travelling bit. There's that saying that we are great because we stand upon the shoulders of our forefathers. Kerry-Ann literally goes back in time and meets a younger version of her grandfather and learns how hard London was for a black man at that time.
She gets involved in the London riots and learns how people of colour literally earned their place in London.
It also makes you consider how black people came over on the Windrush from British owned Jamaica. I learnt some things from this book that I didn't know before - which is always a good thing. I'd definitely recommend this book for everyone, especially girls. It is an empowering story that makes you believe girls can do anything boys can. Which, of course, is 100% true. :)
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews