Barrington Stoke books are always a winner for me.- this collaboration with Patrice Lawrence is just wonderful. This is a powerful story which does not shy away from tough isssues - racism, justice system, care system - and it's all the richer for it. A powerful story, brilliantly told.

A Massive Thank You to the Author, the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this book prior to its release date.

Amazing!

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This heartbreakingly brilliant book by @LawrencePatrice for @BarringtonStoke published today (thx for the proof). I've recently started some training with @TISUK_ about working with children with trauma in their past & so much of what we're talking about would help Charlene #UKYA https://t.co/RqAUck3nxB

This hit me hard in the feelings. It follows Roo who is living in the court system, struggling with her anger, and experiencing the harsh reality of the justice system. All whilst trying to knit a blanket for the sister she loves and missed. It's only a short book, but an emotional, hard hitting and important read.

This is a deep story about the way a black teenager who is in the care system is treated. Charlene loves to knit, it’s what she does to cope when things upset her. Her foster mum knows that knitting helps her, but when her foster mum’s son does something terrible, she gets angry and stabs him with a knitting needle.

This is a brilliant story showing how difficult life can be for someone in care. Charlene has had to live in care ever since her mum died and her sister Kandi has been separated from her. While Kandi lives with her dad, Charlene, who has a different father, has to stay with foster carers and her latest foster mum is luckily very nice and kind to her. After a bad day Charlene comes home and starts knitting a big piece she wants to give to her sister. I love how Charlene really gets into her knitting and how it helps her keep calm after she gets stressed and upset.

Charlene is so keen on knitting that she even wants to take her knitting to school one day, but after being convinced to leave it at home, she goes back to the house and finds her foster mum’s son looking at her work. His attitude is toxic towards her and Charlene struggles to keep her cool. You really feel for Charlene in this novel. There are so many kids and teens in care who are judged by others instantly, just for being in that situation, without any understanding. This is what happens to Charlene with her foster mum’s son and it’s his attitude that causes Charlene to lash out.

The story shows the real impact that Charlene’s behaviour has on her situation. Her anger causes her to do something she shouldn’t but unlike stories where we just see someone getting angry and later in trouble for it, this tale is told from Charlene’s perspective, with her narrating it, so you get an insight into how she feels and what she’s going through and you can really feel and understand that what happens is so much more complex than simply her being angry and then violent with the knitting needle.

I like what happens, despite how desperate her situation becomes. The way her foster mum treats her after the events was good and I like how Charlene finds support for her and her situation even though things get very difficult. The ending is good and I like what happens and how Charlene grows in this story too, however I do wish there could have been a final scene, perhaps set a little later, just to show us that things did go as we hope they do as this ending felt a little abrupt.

I like the writing style in this book, you can really feel what Charlene is going though and I like how we get a picture of how she’s mistreated due to the prejudices against her. There are lots of children and teens going through the care system and this book really highlights the difficulties they face. I didn’t know there were so many restrictions for doing simple things sometimes like going out and meeting friends or family and I like how this book is informative as well as being a good fiction read.

Overall I would recommend this book to anyone interested in an interesting and powerful read. It’s quite an emotional one too, especially when Charlene faces some heart-breaking moments like what happens to her knitting and later on with visiting her sister, and it’s definitely a book that I think a lot of people should read to get rid of the stigma behind those who are in care and also those who are black, as sometimes there are reasons for certain behaviours even if they’re not always the right choices. And as a character Charlene certainly learns from her mistakes which is great to read.

I have read a few books by Patrice Lawrence and consider her to be one of the queens of Black British YA books. Her characters are always so raw and real and her writing feels so urgent. So, I was delighted to have the chance to pick up this short story that she wrote for dyslexia-friendly publisher Barrington Stoke.

Charlene loves knitting and her latest project is set to be a present for the little sister that she doesn’t see anymore. But when her foster mother’s son destroys her work, Charlene snaps and stabs him with a knittting needle causing major damage. Suddenly, Charlene is in big trouble but everyone keeps telling her to apologise in order to make things easier for herself. But Charlene has never apologised and she isn’t about to start now.

Knitting is a soothing method for Charlene, as I know it is for so many knitters. Charlene’s foster mother Annie tries to introduce her to other ways of relaxing but Charlene is only interested in knitting. Due to her fixations and rigid mindset, I did wonder whether Charlene is on the autism spectrum. She definitely shows some sign of it but as it isn’t mentioned in the story, I don’t think it’s something we can say for sure.

Charlene is aware of the realities of being a Black teenager, especially a Black teen in care. She knows the judgements that white people make about her and about Black people in general. I love that this book addressed systemic racism in a slightly different way to how it’s usually addressed in books. It’s not completely blatant in this story and that goes to show that it isn’t always explicit in real life.

It seems that even Charlene’s school don’t really understand her or take anything into account beyond her circumstances. She is placed in lower sets for everything, simply because of the fact that she’s a ‘troubled kid in care’. It’s also a commentary on how class affects education, no matter what school a kid ends up in.

There is a lot of depiction on what it’s like to be a working class Brit. So many little details like the nappy blocking the window can only have come from Lawrence’s real life experience or observation and honestly, that image broke my heart. How can one of the wealthiest cities in the world still have residents that live like this? And of course, this is just the surface of the realities of urban poverty.

Needle is a fast-paced, engaging and educatonal read about a girl fighting for what she believes in within a world that doesn’t want her to win. It’s the same fight that many young people are fighting in our own world and these stories need to be told. Told with punch and power, Needle is a glimpse into a teen experience that many of us can barely imagine.

A short but emotional read that had my full attention from the very first word. A powerful glimpse at the difficulties faced by children in care, who are separated from their families and let down by the impersonal system they are forced to be a part of, this book highlights beautifully just how valuable it is for young people to have supportive adults willing to see past their 'bad' behaviour and find ways to encourage them to succeed in their lives. This would no doubt be an excellent prompt for rich and varied discussion/debates with early secondary school pupils aged 14+ and is a highly enjoyable read for teenagers and adults alike.
Thank you to NetGalley.co.uk and Barrington Stoke Ltd for the free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Though this story is short, that doesn’t mean it isn’t powerful. How do we say sorry when we don’t have anything to be sorry for? That’s the question Charlene has to face when the injustices she faces are used against her in ways that don’t seem fair.

I loved both the simplicity of the story telling as well as the imagery of knitting, especially as a novice knitter myself. So when Charlene’s work got ruined, my heart broke along side it, and that transferred over as we learned more about her and the tragic events of her past.

We recently had Patrice Lawrence visit our College and she spoke so much about this book, and I am thrilled to say that everything she said was true and then some. Patrice has a way of dealing with extremely powerful issues but in an accessible manner that young people really relate to. In Needle, she addresses a very relevant issue and the repercussions it can have. Another diamond from this astonishing author.

This was an interesting, fast-paced short book following 15 year old Charlene, who was separated from her sister following the death of their mother. This is a really good hi-lo book that I think would work well for reluctant readers.

Thank you to Netgalley and Barrington Stoke for the eARC!

Needle by Patrice Lawrence is on the surface a short story about a strong-willed preteen who takes solace in her hobby of knitting. However, underneath the surface it is a story about systemic racism and how many black children are harmed by the criminal justice system.
I was hooked by the book's description and had to request this. As someone who is a voracious knitter, I was intrigued by the term "demon knitter". From the first page, Charlene is someone with opinions and a penchant for not saying sorry. It certainly gets her into a lot of trouble, but it's understandable as the narrative explains to us how her mind works and the thoughts she has behind all of her actions. I loved Charlene and how she went for what she wanted, even when the world was telling her no. It's not very long, but it certainly packs a punch.

This book is adorable and touching and perfect. As someone who uses yarn-craft as a means of destress and anxiety management, the author could not have gotten it more right. Will definitely be adding to the collection.

Excellent condensed family/adolescent story.

Barrington Stoke does give us the best writers and the best writing, in short form. Lawrence here gives what could have been a full-length novel, but in a tale that takes little over an hour to read and will definitely appeal to teens who can empathise with the anger and frustration Charlene feels.

Since the death of her mother, Charlene has been separated from much-loved younger sister Kandi, who is living with her birth father. Charlene herself is in foster care, currently with a foster-parent she can actually stand. She's far from excelling in school, quick to anger, and missing her sister, her knitting hobby keeps her cool and gives her focus.

The problem occurs when she decides to make her little sister a dinosaur blanket as a present. Explosive and life-changing actions result, with the reader probably shell-shocked to watch as Charlene's life suddenly reels out of control.

The play-on-words in the title may not hit the reader, but it's beautifully apt, and we do see how every action can and does have consequences. It's also a shock how young people might be treated in the legal system, and just what the life of someone in care might be like.

There are sympathetic characters - Charlene herself you just want to hug. Foster parent Annie is wonderful. I'd like to have had more time to explore Kandi and her dad, and there's a great supply teacher that a novel would have let become a bigger influence, one feels, but there wasn't time here for that.

Excellent Barrington Stoke title, with useful links at the end for young people in the legal system needing support.

For ages 12 and above.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

Patrice Lawrence has once again written a gripping and poignant novel. Charlene is in foster care because her mother has died. Her carer Annie is kind and wise, but Annie’s son Blake wants nothing to do with Charlene. Worse still, Charlene is not allowed any contact with her half-sister Kandi who she was exceptionally close to; Kandi’s dad feels that Charlene is a bad influence. This makes Charlene feel desperately lonely and angry. When things go wrong, Charlene works through her emotions by knitting – it calms her when nothing else can. She is knitting a blanket with a dinosaur hood for her sister Kandi. But then it turns out Blake has a mean streak, and Charlene is pushed into the criminal justice system.

This is an honest and deeply empathetic portrayal of a complex teenage character for whom life has been cruel and unfair. Lawrence doesn’t sugar-coat or trivialise the experiences of her protagonists – instead, she brings us into their minds and realities while at the same time exposing institutional and societal failures. I felt so much outrage on Charlene’s behalf. I love the multi-faceted nature of Lawrence’s characterisation, evident even in a short novel like Needle – the motivations and emotions of both adults and young people are explored, with characters capable of change. There are no easy solutions or magic wands – but this reflects real life.

Needle is a powerful addition to the treasure chest of Barrington Stoke published books; these are accessible for reluctant and struggling readers, but contain mature and thought-provoking themes. I highly recommend Needle for Year 8+

What a great read! I can’t wait to introduce my students to this novel – I know that some of them are going to really see themselves in its main character, and will enjoy this fast-paced, empathetic telling of Charlene’s story.

I was so relieved to find out that the ‘needle’ in the title refers to knitting needles rather than syringes or knives, and also surprised to find out that it is Charlene, the main character, who is an enthusiastic knitter. (Not enough characters in books for teens craft!)

Charlene is a complicated character though – she lives in foster care after the death of her mother, and is separated from the sister who means the world to her. Charlene hangs out with people who are bad influences on her, and prevent her from having the stable life that she craves. She gets angry and lashes out. What I love about this book is that it isn’t ‘preachy’ or didactic, and it’s main character is throughly human. Charlene knows that she makes mistakes, and listens to advice even though she doesn’t always feel that she can follow it.

One thing that I love about this book, like so many of those published by Barrington Stoke, is that it is succinct and uncomplicated without ‘dumbing down’ on the character’s motivations or feelings. In the school library, I house these books in a ‘quick reads’ section rather than ‘easy reads’ – they may be short, and the reading ages may be lower than most YA fiction, but the interest level is certainly not.

Some days, we all just like to get to the ‘good bits’ of a story without having a huge cast of characters and loads of subplot. ‘Needle’ does this beautifully, and you’ll find it a rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish.

‘Needle’ is due to be published by Barrington Stoke on 5th May 2022. Thank you to NetGalley and Barrington Stoke for this ARC in return for my honest review.

A perfect quick read for YA readers. The beginning really hooks you in however I was a bit disappointed with the way the story developed.

Needle is a compelling read that follows Charlene, who's in the foster care system and wants nothing more than to see her younger sister again. The book explores hard-hitting topics such as racial bias and the juvenile criminal justice system through a relatable protagonist and engaging story. It also sheds light on what kids who slip through the cracks often go through.

I felt so much for Charlene in this emotionally-charged story. Things like how she finds solace through knitting and leans on the hope of seeing her sister again as a driving force really got to me. Her actions might understandably draw mixed reactions but I could empathise with her. I really enjoyed following Charlene's journey and she felt like a real person whose story I need to know more about.

Brave. Charlene, the 'heroine' of this piece is extremely hard for some people to like, characters and readers both. Kicked out of multiple homes and schools, she's fostering with a pleasant yoga tutor, Annie, and has taken up residence in her son Blake's old room while he's at uni. Such a tempestuous personality may be in need of a comfort blanket, you might perhaps think, and the creation of one such item is part of the plot here, as Charlene is a wonder knitter, and is making something full of love for her younger sister – a younger sister she's allowed contact with no more. We see Charlene prove her belligerence with a store detective, and then force people to give her two days off school, when she shouts someone down as expletively ignorant. And then... well, what exactly happens is not for me to say, only to remark how sharp and pointy those knitting needles can be...

Yes, Brave. It feels brave for Barrington Stoke, with their specialist audience, to go so far against the standard English. For on their usual thick, lemony card stock and within their large, dyslexia-friendly printing, comes black British patois, with every page having a double negative, the police called feds and more. You almost feel like pointing out that this is written from the point of view of Charlene, and definitely in Charlene's voice, but remains a book that the Charlenes of the world will never read. But you cannot be so damnably pessimistic. They will get to see themselves in print; we must hope only good comes out of it. Or some nice mittens, or a balaclava.

Still, can you be optimistic about the catty, vicious, vindictive, self-righteous narrator? I'm sure you can imagine people who went through what she went through and didn't come out the other side so pointedly unapologetic about her behaviour. The book reads as if we're supposed to be very much on her side, and even when it drops in social commentary that might prove otherwise – the fact that the school people move house to get their kids into is a violent Bedlam; Charlene has been programmed to play the race card in quite disgusting ways – it reads as incidental, and not a comment on the state of the country.

I think it's a test of our sympathies too far – although, as I alluded, the Charlenes in the audience will probably marvel at the realism of her. It is indicative of what I see as a change in editorial policy in Barrington Stoke over the last couple of years, and one I don't like (although probably based on a small portion of their output). For me, their stories which were perfect stories in and of themselves, a wonder for all to read, have veered towards the socially conscious, 'woke' and have become much more open-ended. It's far beyond my remit to say what of those is at play here, but in leaving so much conviction in my mind that I was given an impression about Charlene and it was not the intended one, I found this as a result to be less enjoyable than it should be.

And that doubt remains in my mind when I attempt to see what the target audience of this would feel about it. To be technical it's designed to be of interest to those twelve and up, and yet accessible if their reading ability is that of an eight year old. Now I'm never going to pretend that audience is more gullible and susceptible than any other, but I do fear that glorifying Charlene is not going to help the impressionable reader. I would almost hope some of the intended audience do see how unlikeable she can get. Like I say, it's brave to put a character like her out there.

The introduction and how the story started was really interesting and got you hooked straight away, however also right off the bat the writing and incorrect grammar really bothered me, I know this will have been an intentional choice to write like that however I found it off putting and felt like it kept pushing me out of the story because it was so noticable.

By the halfway point the writing style wasn't as jarring and I was so ingrained in the story and what was going on. It was really interesting being in Charlene's head and knowing what she was thinking not just what was happening on the outside.

The second half of the book was great and flowed so well, I loved where the story took us and how everything ended up. The ending was great, not everything was concluded but it was hopeful and realistic at the same time.

I will say at the start it didn't seem very believable to me that she was 15 as the book moved on it read more as immaturity rather than being the incorrect age, I'm just unsure if a character who had gone through everything Charlene had would be as immature when it comes to what they were actually thinking about in their head. I understand the outward immaturity and acting out and I'm aware that this point is very nit picky it's just not something I could get my head around especially saying sorry.

I do think this is a really important book especially for younger people to read and the storyline and characters are really compelling you want to keep reading about them and find out what happens.

Overall 4 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thanks to @netgalley , the publishers @barringtonstoke and the author @lawrencepatrice for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review