SOLVED. 90s YA fiction set in London, dealing with unwanted sexual advances. [s]

[Katie]

Hi,

I’m trying to remember the title of a book (the first of two) following a teenage girl about 14 or 15 in the 90s. Probably after 1995. She is white, short and has spiked hair and waddles like a penguin and her best friend is black, tall and is compared to a lioness (why I remember these details I don’t know).

Her mum’s boyfriend moves in and starts to make inappropriate remarks and touches. I think he tries to kiss her or he does kiss her. I think his name is Tony.
She puts a lock on her door which her mum thinks is weird but let’s it go.
She develops a crush on her new neighbour who turns out to be gay.
She has a grandma who lives in Southend.
She falls out with her friend and the friends brother has a crush on her (that could be the second book tbh).

The cover was just a colour sketch of the girl I think.

Any idea?
Thanks
X

[Rainbowheart]

This sounds super familiar to me.

Was it more of a dark book, given the subject matter? A lot of British teen girl series from that time frame are more lighthearted.

[Katie]

Thanks for the reply. I didn't think it was too dark tbh. Things are resolved pretty quickly when... (view spoiler)[ the girl tells her mum. Her mum absolutely believes her and immediately boots the boyfriend having sent the girl off for the weekend so none of that confrontation was depicted. In the second book I think the girl's friend goes out with the boyfriend's son. They fall out a bit at that point. (hide spoiler)]

[Rainbowheart]

Did you read these books in the '90s? No later than '99?

[Katie]

Hi. I definitely read the before ‘99 because they were library books and I lived in that town from 1993ish to 2000. They could have been written in the late 80s I guess. I actually bought them in a library book sale but donated them years ago. Lol can’t believe I can’t remember the names.

[Rainbowheart]

Have you ruled out Jacqueline Wilson? She's written a ton of British series for girls starting in the late '80s.

[Rainbowheart]

Does anything on the Unwanted Attention list look familiar?

[Rainbowheart]

I really should know this!

Maybe something by Rosie Rushton, Ann Bryant, or Kate Andrews?

I scoured Archive.org for some of your keywords and came up with nada.

[Katie]

Thanks for trying. I have checked those authors on you suggestion and unfortunately not. I appreciate the ideas though.

[Becca]

Big Trouble by Sue Limb looks hopeful - it's the sequel to Me Jane. There's a copy of Big Trouble on archive.org - https://archive.org/details/bigtroubl...

Here are some quotes:

We didn’t say much. But there was plenty to think about. I felt really shocked. Not that Ben had turned out to be gay, because that idea’s never bothered me at all. Some of my favourite rock stars and TV actors are gay or bisexual. What bothered me was that I hadn't realised. I'd let myself get into a state about Ben - well, fall for him, no less - even though now I could see there were all sorts of signals I should have picked up.

Lorette arrived. Wow! She looked gorgeous. The October sunshine sort of lit her up. I’ve often wished I had brown skin like Lorette’s, instead of mine

Lorette came pounding down the pavement towards the bus stop. (She’s an athlete, by the way. She pounds the pavements, I waddle along behind.)

She had arranged some glo-stars above her bed in the shape of her birth sign. Leo the Lion.

[Katie]

Omg yes!! You beauty!!. I've been looking for this for about 15 years. Thank you!!!

[Becca]

Glad to help!

[Rainbowheart]

Oh, awesome! Great find, Becca!

Off to add to a couple of lists, lol.