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Careless

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Careless

By: Kirsty Capes
Narrated by: Amber Gadd
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Summary

Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2022!

A Cosmopolitan, BBC, Stylist, Daily Mail, Good Housekeeping and Guardian Best Book Pick for 2021! 

Sometimes it's easy to fall between the cracks....

At 3.04 p.m. on a hot, sticky day in June, Bess finds out she's pregnant. 

She could tell her social worker Henry, but he's useless. 

She should tell her foster mother, Lisa, but she won't understand.

She really ought to tell Boy, but she hasn't spoken to him in weeks. 

Bess knows more than anyone that love doesn't come without conditions.

But this isn't a love story.... 

©2021 Kirsty Capes (P)2021 Orion Publishing Group Coming of Age Fiction Friendship Genre Fiction Romance Women's Fiction
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Critic reviews

"The literary equivalent of gold dust." (Benjamin Zephaniah)

'Astounding. Heart-breaking but hopeful, and a fresh new voice." (Pandora Sykes)

"Moving and beautifully written." (Libby Page)

"Made me laugh and cry in equal measure." (Good Housekeeping)
All stars
Most relevant
Makes you think we must do better for children
Enjoyed the story -made me sad frustrated and left me with hope for Bess for a happier future

Insight into the care experience

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An extraordinary book, beautifully written. Gut-punching raw, utterly perfect. I wish I could read it for the first time again.

Can’t remember a book made me weep

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Describing the failings of the UK care system through the story of a teenage girl in foster care. She dreams of being a film maker so the descriptions are wonderfully visual, can imagine this being turned into a movie itself in the vein of Kidulthood.

Great book

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Absolutely love the real and grittiness of this story. I love this book so much it has become one of my go-to’s when I don’t know what new to read.

Listened to 3 times

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I honestly was not too sure at the beginning thinking this book would be a bit young for me and more a “young Readers” book. How wrong was I. I can not fault this book one bit. From being fully immersed in to the characters like I really know them. The author has made these characters really come alive and I felt Bess’s worries , thoughts ,pain and achievements. It threw me back to when I was 15/16 and all the mixed experiences we go through. There is raw truth and honest in this book and also highlighting children in the system which rarely gets written about. I loved this book and the narrator was fantastic is expressing exactly how Bess would have felt.
Thank you

Unmissable read

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