Chelsea Knot starts the book as one of the popular crowd at school. Best friends with Kirsten, Chelsea is used to being able to say what she likes without having to think of the consequences. Unfortunately, she is also portrayed as a completely unpleasant superficial character.
The novel opens with a New Year’s Eve party. Something happens that Chelsea just can’t keep quiet about. The tone at the start is gossipy and fairly lightweight, but from the moment Chelsea opens her mouth to tell people what she saw a chain of events is set in place that has serious consequences.
The symbolism of this taking place at New Year isn’t lost on the reader-this book is about starting anew and changing yourself (or at least coming to accept who you really are).
The characters are, for the most part, fairly stock high-school stereotypes and I think this means it will appeal to its target readership. The crowd that Chelsea finds herself drawn to when she takes her pledge to be silent are one big happy family. They are better developed, and there were some great passages as we watch Chelsea get taken into the heart of this new family and come to terms with who she is and what she wants.
A quick read but one with a serious message to convey. I just wish that Chelsea hadn’t been such a manipulated character at the start as it did make it harder for me to accept unquestioningly her transition.