“A is for Assignment”

Candice Phee is not your average 12-year-old girl. She lives a tough life. Due to the death of Candice’s newborn sister, her mother is depressed and doesn’t come out of her room. Her father and uncle do not talk to each other anymore. Can Candice make her mum happy again? Can she make her uncle and father talk to each other?

Candice Phee is given an English assignment where she has to write about something that has happened in her life. The assignment involves writing one paragraph for every letter of the alphabet. She thinks that one paragraph isn’t enough to tell her teacher about her life, therefore she decides to write multiple paragraphs for each letter.

Follow the troubled life of Candice Phee in the novel “My Life as an Alphabet” by Barry Jonsberg. I really enjoyed the plot because I was interested to find out what happened to the characters in the story and if Candice managed to help her parents be happy again. It was interesting how Candice made her parents happy again. This story reminded me that not everyone has a perfect family and that people do suffer from depression.

I would recommend this novel to teenagers aged 12 to 15 who like to read humour and stories based on real life. By reading this novel I think that young adults will receive a useful insight into real life problems that other teenagers around them could be experiencing. This novel keeps you captivated through its humour and the mysteries certain characters hold, which you will eventually find out. “My Life as an alphabet” by Barry Jonsberg truly is a great read therefore I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars.

Emma S, Year 9

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“We have to write a paragraph about ourselves for every letter of the alphabet. Twenty-six paragraphs in total and each one starts with a letter of the alphabet, from A through to Z.”

Candice Phee is given an English Assignment, a recount of her life using the letters of the alphabet. Candice believes that one paragraph isn’t enough and that she can’t possibly write about her life without talking about the people that she spends her time with.

Candice is funny, loving and a little strange at times. After the death of her sister Candice feels that it was her fault and that her family will never be the same. She is always making sure that the people she loves are happy even if this proves a challenge. Candice is a 13 year old girl who will go to all extremes to fix the things that are broken in her family, even her pet gold fish (Earth Pig Fish).

I enjoyed this book because it showed the way that she handles her life. Her family isn’t perfect; she gets bullied for being different and lives with guilt. She still continues her life day by day, doing what she does best solving others’  problems and ensuring that everyone lives a happy life no matter how hard this may be for a 13 year old. I would recommend this book for children aged 13 and up. This book shows an insight into teenage life and the difficulties that we face and how to overcome these. The way in which Barry Jonsberg has written this story is very intriguing. It keeps you on the edge of your seat and encourages you to continue reading. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would happily rate it a 4/5.

Georgina F., Year 9