After her father gets arrested for being part of a get-rich-quick scheme, Norah is forced to move away from her normal life and to attend Chelsea High, a school full of posh, rich teenagers. Norah meets Coco Summers, an Instagram sensation and the most popular girl in school, and Ezra Montgomery, the mysterious, cute boy she sits next to. She has to learn to adapt to her new life at Chelsea High, where everyone knows about her father’s crimes, whilst also getting to know her grandparents who she has never met before.

This book was so well-written and a really quick read. I loved watching Norah adapt to her new surroundings and how she stood up for herself when Coco was being mean to her. My favourite part of this book were the scenes with Norah and her grandfather and I wish we were able to have more of those scenes, so we could see the development of the relationship between them. The relationship between Norah and Ezra was also really cute and I enjoyed the scenes between them and watching them fall for each other.

‘Chelsea High’ was a fun book to read and an amazing YA debut. It is a book about the importance of family and friendship and learning to accept a new normal.

When I started reading this book, I wasn’t entirely sure; the stereotypical private school setting normally annoys me, but it was Norah’s backstory that drew me in. She wants everything to go back to the way it was, when she was happy, before her Dad conned a lot of money out of their friends. When she arrives as Chelsea High, she doesn’t fit in... especially with the likes of Regina George-esque Coco Summers, the influencer brat, and her mean girl acolytes. Her Grandparents are also unchartered waters for her, and I always felt bad for them - especially when Norah’s mother was so dismissive, and when her Grandfather admitted that he cut her father off; as he said, he’s not a bad person, but easily led with dire consequences. I was ready to dismiss Ezra as just someone who is that /guy-who-falls-for-the-underdog/ but his story hurts to read too. I felt myself tearing up when Norah loses her part in the school play because of Coco (& her awful father), and also when it’s revealed that her dad knew about the Ponzi scheme after she had so wholeheartedly supported his innocence. What was also good about this book is the fact that a resolution is never quick; Coco doesn’t get torn to shreds by her friends, Norah’s father gets jail time, Ezra realises Rollo is really just a selfish airhead. But what Norah receives instead is peace of mind. Her mistakes are not her father’s, and when she stops shouldering that’s blame, she feels she can be freer. It’s a good thing to remember for all of us; we are not the sins of those closest to us. Her grandparents’ actions are good testament to that - they saw hope in Norah. I see there’s a CH2, where I hope upon hope that Coco gets her comeuppance. And so does Mr Watts.

Norah is starting her first day at Chelsea High, an elite school that has been thrust upon her since the scandal happened and they were bailed out by rich grandparents she has never heard of or met.

Now that her previous life has gone, will she ever be able to escape these glossy-haired rich people with their just-got-back-from-holiday tans and get back to her normality? Will Ezra notice her and does she want him to when she's going to leave? What is going to happen to her dad? Will she survive the mean girl Coco?

If you're looking a quick high school read, this book is perfect. I would definitely recommend it as a holiday read.

This book shouted Gilmore Girls at me from about 20% in. Rich grandparents a daughter has never met, going to a wealthy school and being different. Some of the characters weren't very developed, but I guess that's why there's a second one. On the other hand, there was enough to keep me reading and to finish it within a day.