80 Books No.15: Dear Dylan by Siobhan Curham

My recent books have been a bit hard going and heavy on the teenage death. Upon rifling through the books I’ve bought recently, they all looked a bit hard going and heavy on the teenage death. Dear Dylan was therefore my attempt to find something a little more cheerful and uplifting, and the cover certainly seemed to promise something less disturbing.

You know that old phrase ‘never judge a book by its cover’? Well… yeah…

That is a little unfair of me, as I did enjoy this novel, and the main character Georgie was lively and fun. The e-mail format of the story was fun and different. The concept itself was a little far-fetched: Georgie starts e-mailing Dylan, her favourite soap star, via his website and is initially convinced that the automatic replies come directly from him. This I am unconvinced about; most fourteen-year-olds have a little more internet-savvy than this. However, later she begins getting personalised replies from ‘Dylan’, who actually turns out to be somebody completely different. Georgie’s initial rejection of this person, followed by the frankly delightful friendship between them was a joy to read.

The novel dealt with heavier themes than I expected, including drugs, step-families and domestic violence. In this respect, it didn’t quite match up to the cover and my hopes for a fluffy trivial read. However, it never became too overbearing and stifling, showing that Siobhan Curham has a real talent for writing about some quite difficult issues for teenagers in a way which isn’t going to completely traumatise them. Georgie’s little sister Michaela was a particular treat. I also really liked how it was obvious to the reader that Georgie’s friendships were more toxic than she perceived them, something her ‘e-mate’ was able to pick up on immediately. This reminded me of how easy it is for somebody older and wiser to make objective observations about teenagers lives, but how confusing it can be to the young person at the centre of it all.

What was uplifting about this novel was the ending where, for once, things turned out well for the main character, which was a nice break from the ambiguously depressing endings of Black Rabbit Summer and Torn. I’m almost certain my next choice of book is going to plunge me back into the depths of despair, so I’m thankful to Siobhan Curham, and Georgie, for a brief respite!