I enjoyed this book. At first it took me a while to get into it - possibly because the character was a teenager - but then I found that I warmed to the character even though at times she wasn’t very likeable.
I was interested in the details about foster kids and how they are treated and how they perceive the system they are in.
The details about the pregnancy and arranged marriage was interesting to me and I can imagine how these things can happen and become all consuming.
I would recommend this book.

I finished reading this yesterday and I'm still reeling! Such an engaging book all about those who fall between the cracks because of our inadequate care services, and what it means to be a mother or give unconditional love. I was really absorbed by Capes' writing, how matter of fact the protagonist Bess is, but some sentences felt like a slap in the face the further we get into the book and moments start coming to a head. I just want to find Bess and give her a cuddle. I also liked the sub-plot of her best friend Eshal struggling with arranged marriage, showing that you can still fall between the cracks even if you have a loving family around you, we can all struggle. 🧡

Bess (born Isabelle) is fifteen. She's lived with her foster family for ten years. Things haven't felt quite the same between her and her foster mum, Lucy, for a while, and her best friend Eshal hasn't been the same since Bess met Boy. Now Bess is pregnant and things are about to get a whole lot worse.


Careless is an eye-opening examination of the care system, of its benefits and especially its pitfalls. It is an important insight into teen pregnancy and abortion. It is about race and class and inequality; about friends, family biological and found; about love and power and how different those two things are; about abuse and manipulation and vulnerability; about mental illness and trauma and recovery. It is touching and quietly funny and sickening and sweet.

I couldn't stop reading.

I can't wait to see what Capes writes next.

A heartbreaking tale of life in the care system. I really felt for Bess as she was so young and had to deal with so much in her life. I read this within a couple of days and was bereft when it ended as I was so invested in the main character.

This is such a rare book, it genuinely opened up an area of society I had never thought about. A child can be long term fostered and never adopted, why? That child is still controlled by the State and the foster parents are transactionally involved with the child. What does that mean for the child as they grow up and understand where they fit in. Are they truly loved or are they a “job” to their foster parents?
Bess is 15 and happy enough in her school and family situation. Her best friend, Esh, is a driven but family orientated Bengali,; an arranged marriage looms. Careless follows a few short months in the late 90s as Bess meets Boy and growing up comes far too quickly for both girls.
This is such an astonishing book and an unbelievable debut. It shines a light on some incredibly difficult issues yet also really gives you a feeling of hope. I’m going to give to my 15 year old daughter as soon as it is published. It deserves every award it will undoubtedly win.
Thank you to #netgalley and #orionbooks for letting me review this ARC

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.
I honestly wasn’t sure if I would relate to a YA book about teenage pregnancy, but Kirsty’s wonderful writing style and character development made it a page turner for adults to enjoy too.
The story starts with Bess’ positive pregnancy test and then takes us through Bess’ upbringing in the care system and her complicated relationships with her foster family, the baby’s father and her social worker. Luckily Bess has her best friend Eshal and they truly depend on each other to help them through some quite dark times. The book covers many topics which some kind find triggering but the author does so sensitively and from a young persons perspective.
An emotional, gripping read that I would definitely recommend.

f you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to grow-up in a family but as part of the ‘care’ system then ‘Careless’ will be an eye opener. From social workers that see them as just a number, not having a family that you know will always support you past the age of turning an adult, or seeing the differences in how biological children of the foster parents are treated differently to the foster children.

Careless addresses the issue of if care can really take place when it is treated as a commodity ie foster parents are paid to look after children.

The story follows foster child Bess as she finds out she is pregnant by her first love. You really root for Bess and her best friend, and it deals beautifully with first love, which is really just an obsessive infatuation rather than actual love. It’s a story of resilience, friendship and determination by the two friends to dictate their own futures. I’d certainly recommend this one to everyone, and it’s published this week.

The author was also a doctoral student of Bernardine Evaristo, and Careless can certainly stand proud alongside the books of Evaristo.

A big thanks to @orionbooks for gifting me advance ebook access.

TW: Child neglect, postpartum depression, sexual assault

A profoundly moving but unsentimental look at the universal need for love.
I thought the author managed to give a well balanced and nuanced account of the relationships in the story. Although Bess is the main character and events are seen through her eyes, she is portrayed with all her flaws and there is understanding of why her foster mum gets so angry and exasperated with her and that social workers do their best to offer support to them both. Her friendship with Eshal is also well described and the religious and cultural questions her friend is struggling with at times.
I was pleased it ended on a positive note with hope for a brighter future
Thank you to netgalley and Orion publishing group for an advance copy of this book

An emotional rollercoaster with a character full of distinction exploring a topic that is very much pushed out of sight. I loved the relationships throughout and felt a connection to many. I found the writing sophisticated and I was able to really resonate with the thoughts and feelings throughout. A great book that I hope falls into the hands of many young women.

The story of Bess and Boy is not Romeo and Juliet, it's raw and it's real (at least I think that's what it was like at 15, it's been some time!).

There's a number of subjects touched upon in this book, the care system, teenage pregnancy, racism, rape, arranged marriages. Despite this, I didn't find it hard to read, in fact, I flew through it. It's written in such a way that all these themes don't weigh it down like you think they might but they are written about sensitively. I really loved Bess and Eshal's relationship, that one best friend you have, that no matter what always has your back.

I enjoy young adult fiction, although I do feel this was aimed at much younger than what I usually read (I am 40 by the way) and I didn't enjoy it quite as much as I thought I would.

3.5 stars.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I enjoyed this books so much.

I didn’t know what to expect - I saw a lot of phrases like “thought provoking” and “moving”’which normally massively put me off, but this is dark and sad and real without being sentimental and I found it really compelling.

At the start of the book we find out our protagonist, Bess, is pregnant. The father is Boy, who she met after he crashed a car into a church and who has a troubled background. Bess herself is a foster child and lives with Lisa and Rory and their biological daughter, Clarissa.

This book is eye opening without being overly sentimental or sad. Horrible things happen to Bess but none of it feels over the top or unrealistic. I was weighing up somewhere between 4 and 5 stars but when it came to my Goodreads rating I found myself going for a 5.

Looking forward to seeing what Kirsty Capes does next!

A really intense and heart breaking read. Bess is only 15, and has a very unstable home life as a long term foster child, when she meets Boy. Her whole world starts to fall apart as she makes some horrible decisions and it's only the strength of her friendship with Eshal that keeps her going.
There are some very distressing scenes, and I would advise caution for younger teens.

I didn't realise this book was technically a YA book when I requested it, but the cover and reviews piqued my interest. It deals with some heavy / difficult subjects (teen pregnancy, abortion, foster care) but is beautilly written and very engaging, I couldnt put it down. I would recommend it to everyone, not just young adults!

A coming-of-age tale with a difference, this story about the importance of love in our lives follows 15 year old Bess through one traumatic summer when she discovers she is pregnant. A foster child, Bess has lived with Lily and Rory since she was four - yet they have never adopted her, possibly because they subsequently had their own baby, Clarissa who is now 10. As a product of the care system, Bess is cared for, but she never feels truly loved - will that change when she meets and falls for Boy, an older teenager with his own issues and challenges?
Bess envies her friend Eshal her own close-knit family, but like Bess and Boy, Eshal is trapped by her situation, too. The two girls must learn to be true to themselves if they're to navigate their way to a settled future - but first Bess must decide if keeping the baby is the right thing for her to do.
This was a very powerful and emotive read. Told by Bess in the first person, it is a raw and honest account of one young person's experience of the care system in this country, which can fail youngsters even when it seems to work. Bess and Eshar are very authentic 15-year-olds, so worldly, yet so naive, challenging, cheeky and yet so courageous in facing their very different family problems. They're intensely loyal to each other - Bess may not have the love of family, but she is lucky to have the love of a friend. But can that ever be enough?
This can be a harrowing read at times, with its unflinching descriptions of Bess's life growing up on a poor estate, her encounters with Boy and her fallouts with her foster family. But it retains a strong sense of optimism, thanks to Bess's own strong determination to fulfil her hopes and dreams, even if they change along the way.

Careless is an incredibly gritty, moving coming of age story about Bess, a fifteen year old girl in a long term care placement and I was totally invested in Bess from the very first page.

It is a raw exploration of hard hitting issues including teenage pregnancy and arranged marriage whilst navigating complicated family dynamics, friendships and relationships.

Kirsty Capes writes powerfully about the harsh realities of being a teenage on the cusp of adulthood and perfectly balances heartbreak and humour. There were parts that made my heart ache and want to reach into the pages and grab Bess and take her home!

This isn’t always an easy read but is based on themes that are incredibly important that are often kept behind closed doors and not openly discussed. It was also a thought provoking insight into the perspective of a young person in care and the emotionless, box ticking, one size fits all system they often get caught in. I think Capes did a fantastic job of shining a light on both the negatives and positives aspects of the care system in a really honest and authentic way.

Ultimately it is a book about hope, celebrating independence and friendship and Bess’s story will stay with me for a long time to come.

Thank you to Kirsty Capes, Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for my ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Bess, a fostered teenager with a troubled past, discovers that she's pregnant. She has a complicated relationship with her foster mother, Lisa, and her best friend Eshal is her lifeline. Bess struggles with the idea of love, and what it means, and how unreliable it can be.
Although this book is marketed as young adult, I found the themes that it covers (and there are a few of them) are relevant to adults too. It is easy to read and written in the first person, which makes it easy to relate to Bess and how she feels and copes with her circumstances. She refers to her boyfriend as Boy, as though giving him a name might make him reliable.

Eshal and Bess have to deal with a range of issues, from foster care, abortion and an arranged marriage, but although the issues are difficult and contentious, they are dealt with sympathetically and with empathy.

It's easy to be drawn to Bess. She emerges as a heroine who finds her power and her light at the end of a tunnel. even when having to face difficult situations.
A touching and emotional read.
WIth thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

Set over the Millennium, so 22 years ago, Bess is in care, having lived with her foster parents Lisa and Rory for over 10 years and expecting to continue. What hadn't been expected was for Lisa to give birth to her own child - Clarissa - who is a young, irritating sister to Bess. But much of this irritation is because of the different ways they are treated by Lisa and Bess feels that gulf.
Best friends with Eshal who comes from a loving, very protective family the two girls are approaching their GCSEs. Esh studies hard as her family expect her to do well and she accepts their constraints - at least outwardly. Bess, on the other hand rebels against her foster Mum's rules and it's difficult to say out of Bess and Esh who is leading the other astray. But when Bess notices bad Boy and spends more time with him than Esh their friendship is tested.
Sometimes it was easy to remember this book was set 22 years ago. Other times the challenges facing 2 young girls on the brink of becoming independent are very similar today. The racial abuse Esh endures is jarring as the terminology used was more blatant years ago, although would still be used. The care system comes into question and the need to grab a private phone conversation on a landline will be alien to young people today. Central to the book is a complete breakdown of communication between many parties - Bess and her foster Mum, Bess and her social worker, Bess and Boy Eshal and her family. Only when true feelings are expressed can anyone make any progress.

Gritty and hard hitting, this is a brilliantly written book. Full of empathy and very thought provoking, it kept me reading well into the night and was the first thing I picked up in the morning. Will definitely feature in our school library.

This was a really heart-breaking, inspiring and well-written story. It was really carefully written, and whilst the concept may not be entirely new, it felt like a really original story. The cover was also brilliantly designed and I would have picked this up in a bookshop out of curiosity! As a 24 year old, I felt really sorry for Bess and how she had to make so many adult decisions as a 15/16 year old. It was hard to read, but also had some real funny and heart-warming moments.

Careless by Kirsty Capes is a fictional account of a 15/16 year old girl, Bess living in foster care.

When we first meet Bess she is in the toilet of a greasy takeaway joint, doing a pregnancy test which turns out to be positive.

Bess then proceeds to spin wildly in the wind, as she tries to get a handle on the situation she's in, in the middle of her GCSE's and with desperate ambitions to be a film maker, but surrounded by adults, her foster mum, her social worker who don't really "care".

I have an adopted daughter and in my attempts to be the best mum I can to her, I have taken time to listen to adult adoptees and adults who have progressed through the care system. Bess is the best fictional example I can think of which demonstrates, in every heartbreaking way, what it is like to be a child in the system. Capes is a care experienced person herself, and it is clear on every page how that experience has informed this book. I could list the many ways in which the book does this, but instead you should go and read it and find out for yourself, because this book will enrich your life in so many ways. Foster carers should read it, social workers should read it, the Childrens Minister should DEFINITELY read it, parents of teenagers in general should read it.

In general, I think the book is a wonderful expression of what it's like being a teenager. Bess is in the middle of her GCSE's, but school and teachers barely rate a mention. I remember being in the middle of my GCSE's and being a lot more worried about whether that boy liked me than my actual results. I have always thought it was stupid to put a bunch of hormonal pre adults through life changing exams and this book confirms that I am right.

There is also an interesting sub plot involving Bess' best friend, Eshal, a Muslim girl under pressure from her parents to enter an arranged marriage. I felt this was also handled sensitively, and served as a sharp contrast to Bess and her situation. Eshal has family and parents who really do care about her and want her to be happy, whereas Bess has family and adults who want to put a tick in a box and get paid.

I loved this book, the characters felt so alive and their voices so genuine. I want everyone to read this book and give themselves a slap upside the head when they dare to utter the words "S/He's lucky to have you" when referencing fostered/adopted children.