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Not Going to Plan

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Not Going to Plan

By: Tia Fisher
Narrated by: Charlie Bateman, Imogen Front
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About this listen

From the author of CROSSING THE LINE, winner of the 2024 Carnegie Shadowers' Choice Award.

'So much heart, inventiveness, narrative power, as well as humour, and such clever ways of representing the experiences, thoughts and feelings of young people' - Education Consultant, English and Media Centre

Shortlisted for the School Reading List Fiction Children's Book of the Year 2025

Marnie's really messed up this time - expelled and forced to change schools, the only empty seat in Marnie's new school is next to Zed, a nerd with zero tolerance for mistakes. Marnie (skilled at art and Spanish, struggles with numbers) can't wait to lose her virginity. Zed (brilliant at maths and physics, loathes languages) is a loner who can't stand being touched. They couldn't be less alike, but they both need good grades in the subjects they hate.

What starts as a trade in tuition turns into an unlikely friendship - and after Marnie has sex with a boy who lies about using a condom, she needs Zed's help to make the hardest decision of her life.

Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal for Writing 2026

©2025 Tia Fisher (P)2025 Bonnier Books UK Coming of Age Difficult Situations Literature & Fiction Feel-Good
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Tia Fisher has done it again! Not one to shy away from difficult issues, this dual narrative explores the challenges faced by two teenagers in their GCSE year, who form an unlikely friendship. Feisty Marnie disappointments her mother by getting permanently excluded from her exclusive private school and ends up moving to a local comprehensive to take her exams, but all goes far from smoothly. Topics explored include teen pregnancy, stealthing and abortion. As with her award winning Crossing the Line, the author's creative use of narrative verse instantly draws the reader in and adds to the impact of the story. This is a great audiobook, but also read a physical copy if you can get hold of one, to fully appreciate the clever word play.

A powerful and engaging YA verse novel

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