When I Feel Red" by Lily Bailey offers readers an insightful and heartfelt exploration of life with dyspraxia through the eyes of April, a spirited young girl navigating the challenges of Year 8. From struggling to fit in at school to feeling like her lessons are in a foreign language, April's journey is both relatable and poignant. Lily Bailey expertly captures the frustrations and triumphs of living with dyspraxia, bringing depth and authenticity to April's experiences.

The novel shines in its portrayal of April's journey towards self-acceptance and understanding. As she grapples with family worries, classroom romances, and the pressure to fit in, April learns valuable lessons about friendship, resilience, and staying true to herself. Lily Bailey's writing is both engaging and empathetic, drawing readers into April's world and inviting them to empathize with her struggles and triumphs.

However, while "When I Feel Red" offers an important and timely portrayal of dyspraxia, some readers may find the pacing of the novel uneven, with certain plot points feeling rushed or underdeveloped. Additionally, while April's experiences are undoubtedly relatable to many readers, some may feel that certain aspects of her journey lack depth or nuance. Despite these minor flaws, "When I Feel Red" is a touching and empowering novel that will resonate with readers of all ages, offering a poignant reminder of the power of resilience, friendship, and staying true to oneself in the face of adversity.

I really enjoyed reading this book! I think Lily Bailey has done an excellent job at giving us the story from a young person's perspective, even more so a young girl, April, who is dyspraxic. As she's starting Year 8, April finds herself struggling with her learning (both in the classroom and with homework), managing her time and workload and to make matters worse, everyone around her seems to suddenly have romantic interests. April is feeling like she's always struggling to keep up and is definitely not emotionally ready to have a love interest. Her only solace is her friendship with Ben, who is very bright and even though he's got OCD, is a tremendous help and support in her daily tasks and life. But things get muddled up when she suddenly finds herself rising in popularity and forced to fit in with the rest of her peers.

I found April's voice to be very realistic as a neurodiverse young girl and I felt she was extremely likable. She gives such an amazing insight into what being dyspraxic looks and feels like and I couldn't help but feel for her when you add teenage hormones in the mix! I highly recommend this book, I think it's very respectful and not in the least patronising and I think that a lot of young readers will relate and see themselves in April.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my review copy, all opinions are my own.

I loved this. It was a brilliant story that kids are going to find gripping. All y6 classrooms need this story. So much to talk about and get into. Brilliant.

4 ⭐️

A pretty heartwarming story about struggling to cope at school as a child. Feeling left behind, not knowing how to deal with things etc...

I'd recommend this for teenagers - it's "about finding your place in the world". It's got a number of funny remarks in it and such an easy read!

Thank you Lily Bailey for giving me a glimpse into April's life. I adore the depth of the characters and the opportunity you give the reader to explore April's experiences with dyspraxia and dyslexia. Thank you for including a rich tapestry of family, teacher and peer interactions. I will definitely recommend this book to other education colleagues to read. Thank you net galley and all publishers involved for providing me with this proof in exchange for an honest review. Lily Bailey - I cannot wait to read your future work and thank you again for creating this powerful, captivating book!

When I Feel Red tells the story of April, as she navigates the tricky ground of that transition from kid into teenager. Along with still playing with her toys while people at school are pairing up, April has dyspraxia, which makes things ever more difficult for her.
I really liked that there are characters in the book that have dyspraxia and OCD (her best friend, Ben), as it will hopefully encourage readers to feel seen if they experience the same things or encourage them to be empathetic towards others if they don't. I think the author did a brilliant job of showing the pressures of trying to conform for your peers. I thought the book would have more aspects of April dealing with her anger (mostly from the title) and when she did 'lose it', it seemed like it came out of nowhere a bit. I really liked the friendship between Ben and Lily and will now go back and read When I See Blue (Ben's story).
I think this maybe slightly too old to share with my Year 6 class but there may be a couple of children that are mature enough and would enjoy the teenage elements of it.
A great, read.

I've Seen When I Feel Blue on twitter a lot but haven't read it so when this came up on Netgalley I had to read it.

April lives with her parents, they're both doctors (well surgeons actually) and so is her older brother, Thomas is a doctor too and he works for Doctors Without Borders so he is away a lot. She adores Olga, her mum's best friend who has been a part of her life for ever!
April is 12, she's in Year 8 at her her school and she likes to play make believe Animal Shelter. She watches Animal ICU a lot. She wants to work in or better still have her own animal shelter when she is older. Her parents think this means she wants to be a vet, but have they looked at her reports. April thinks that the brain cells had all been given to Thomas long before she came along. April is dyspraxic: her organisational skills are poor, she writes with a pencil because it's easier, she forgets things a lot. But she can draw!
Her best friend is Ben, he only joined the school at the beginning of y8 but they get on really well. Another reason to like Ben - he has a labrador called Bumble! April isn't allowed pets, they're all too busy and they live in a flat.

High school isn't easy for April. Her art teacher thinks everything should be about straight lines and perspective. He doesn't think April is any good.
And then there is Mrs Williams, just why does she hate April so much? April dreads her lessons, she is expected to do things that for April, with dyspraxia, are difficult. Try copying off the board when you can't read very well or spell the words without checking. She seems to want to humiliate April. But when she does and April sees RED...

She does have one nice teacher, he teaches Maths. And he introduces her to some books in the library of all places that she might like to read - not babyish ones but good ones that are easier for her. And they are about a girl called Bertha who lives in Victorian England and saves animals! But she spoils things with a picture of him...

The other issue with Y8 is that all the popular girls suddenly want to go out with boys. April doesn't! But they keep on at her to go on a date with them and their boyfriends and her with Ben! What is going on! April agrees but it doesn't go well and she hurts Ben.
Around April's story of high school subject issues is a story of a girl who loves animals. On a trip to the park with Ben and Bumble she saw a stray cat, which ran away. The next time April sees it she sees RED because some older children are trying to hurt it. April finds the cat again and again, befriending it slowly. Until she takes it home, but it's not well and she has to get help.
Can April sort things at school? And with her parents who are not happy with her behaviour. Perhaps Olga will make sense to April when no one else seems to be able to.
I really liked this book. It is so easy to get caught up in being someone that people want you to be and not yourself. April learns the hard way that she can be the better person, that she can see others also hurt. Good insight into the child's world of dyspraxia issues at school too. Definitely want this at school.

Having absolutely adored When I See Blue, I was so excited for When I Feel Red - that excitement was well worth it. I read this all in one sitting (despite having like 5 other half read books going at the moment)

This book is the perfect encapsulation of the mortifying, nightmarish experience that is year eight - it is one of the most relatable books I've ever read, April's confusion at everyone else getting crushes and trying to drag her into that swarm of teen feeling was basically my year eight experience too.

I also just loved getting April's POV and getting to to know her better. The beginning immersed in her animal rescue world was such a good book and I loved how her animal-loving nature was a key part of the story from the books recommended by Mr M to Flame.

Mr M is honestly a wonderful teacher, he was so sweet and supportive. I really enjoyed the depiction of school dynamics and how vastly different teachers can be - with Mr M & Mrs Jameel being supportive whilst Mrs Williams was not. I also liked how much April's emotions came into play and we're expressed realistically from her outbursts to her guilt and her joy in being praised at last, even if it's for being the class clown.

I really enjoyed the relationship with her parents too - just the reality of it being difficult to tell parents things until it builds up and is forced out, and the way often they're anger is misdirected fear and concern. There's a scene where April and her dad are talking and he mentions how his main issue is being upset she never told him about all the problems she was facing and it just really hit me because I've had so many similar kinds of conversations. I also LOVED the fact that April's parents takes ownership of their role in making her feel inadequate compared to her brother and that her mum actually apologised - just it's so important for adults (especially parents) to give their kids basic respect like that, and it's so important for kids to have books that feature that.

All in all I loved this book! The only thing I could've possibly liked from it that wasn't there was some kind of conversation at school about all teachers having to make the right accommodations for April, it would've been nice for more teachers than just Mr M to be giving her support.

Thank you to Hachette Children’s Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

I love finding books where I can relate to the characters, and When I Feel Red is definitely one of them. Being neurodivergent myself, I often struggle to relate to characters in books, but I found myself nodding along and relating to the experiences that April was going through in the book. Year 8 was when I really noticed I was different to my peers, and the way the book explains the problems she faced with her works and not fitting in really resonated with me. I loved the importance of animals in the book too, as it reminded me of my daughter who has a love of animals. Animals really can help us through things, and I loved April's journey through play with animals too.

I haven't read anything else from Lily Bailey, but I have already purchased her other book in this series (although can both be read as stand-alones) which follows another character in this book. I'm excited to delve into it and learn more about another character.

My rating is 4.5 stars for this book, and I think it is a book everyone should pick up and read! It was my favourite book of January.

Thanks for this review copy.
I love a story about characters marching to their own drum and this book does just that.
A great read which at times will make you laugh out loud and at other times take you on a rollercoaster of emotion.

Great for YA readers, parents and teachers.

April is a girl with dyspraxia whose needs do not seem to be accommodated fully at school or at home. She knows she struggles with the work others her age can do. She knows she is still interested in playing with toys while her peers have moved past that phase and knows enough to keep quiet about it to avoid adding to the teasing she receives. But she’s not prepared for year 8 when the girls in her class seem to have discovered boys overnight.
Even her best friend Ben (from When I see Blue) seems to have changed and April wonders if it is easier to admit defeat and try to fit in.
Her passion for animals results in April rescuing a stray kitten and trying to keep it secret from her parents. With this and her struggles at school life is getting overwhelming.
With help from her teacher who does understand and from the school librarian April does become more confident about what she can achieve and her undoubted talent at art makes her stand out.

I wanted to read this book as it sounded as though it would be a book that would resonate with my daughter and her difficulties at school. April’s challenges are different but a lot of her feelings and school experiences are very similar.
Written in an accessible style, this book covers a lot of different issues. There’s friendships, disabilities, identity, fitting in, anger and family.
For me the strongest part of the story was the school sections. April’s struggles with the teaching and the school environment really reflected how hard it was for some students to cope with how the education system is set up. It also highlighted how much some simple adjustments being made can really help these students.

When April starts year 8 at school, it seems like everyone else has changed and moved on to teenage angst and dating boys whilst she is still interested in Animal Rescue and imaginative play. Her dyspraxia is making her academic work challenging, her high achieving family and some unsupportive teachers making her think that she has nothing to offer. Her efforts to fit in lead to her jeopardising her relationship with her best friend and she doesn’t tell her parents how she is feeling.
Things come to a head when she rescues a sick stray kitten, starting a chain of events which help April to find her place in the world. I loved her passion for caring for animals, how she moved from self-doubt and feeling that she had nothing to offer to realising that she is valued and that she does have skills. I also loved that a kind librarian helped her find her passion for reading.
A great read for teens and pre-teens who worry about fitting in.

A fiction story for any teenager to enjoy. This is a book that should be in all school libraries. The main character is a young teenager struggling with growing up. She is a latch key kid to a great extent. She has been dyspraxia which adds a whole other dimension to her life. We see her struggles and how she reacts to the world of adolescent teenagers that surround her as she tries to make sense of the world and how she fits, or might fit, in the future. Thank you to Hachette Children’s Books and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

I thoroughly enjoyed returning to the world of April and Ben in yet another informative and relatable read from Lily Bailey. When I Feel Red is a brilliant tale of peer pressure, teenage angst and finding one’s place in the world. So many young readers will see themselves in April and it’s a really empowering read.

A couple of years ago, I was stuck in a Teams meeting that I really didn’t want to attend. The woman leading it was one of those annoyingly over-enthusiastic types, whose forced jollity I found somewhat insincere, and when she announced there would be the obligatory icebreaker, my heart sank. Asking us all to describe ourselves as a colour, when she got to me her irritation was palpable when – after everyone else had gone for bright, cheery colours – I announced I was navy blue.

Explaining that that was the colour I chose to wear most often to school, that it was probably the colour my colleagues would most likely identify with me and that I was choosing something sombre because I was feeling down in the dumps did not go down well with her but I would like to think that everyone else there knew exactly what I meant because so many of us associate colours with certain feelings or moods. In this new book, the follow up to the gorgeous When I See Blue, we are introduced to April, a student in Year 8 for whom life’s challenges cause her to experience anger in a way that will instantly be recognisable to many young readers.

When we first meet April, she is engrossed in rescuing and treating an injured Shih Tzu until a text from her mother brings her back to reality, causing her to reflect on whether she is too old to indulge in her favourite imaginative play anymore. Trying to help, she reheats the preprepared lasagne and sets the table ahead of the return of the rest of her family – help that is not entirely appreciated by her mother who is clearly concerned about the possibility of mess on her return and who swaps back the knives and forks that April has accidentally laid out the wrong way round. Feeling hurt by this not entirely unexpected behaviour, April’s mood is lifted by a text from best friend Ben arranging to meet up the following day together with his dog, Bumble.

When Ben arrives, April takes advantage of the opportunity to walk Bumble round the park and becoming aware of a movement behind some bins, goes to investigate. Spotting a flash of tabby fur, April wonders whose the cat is and makes a mental note to add it to the log of neighbourhood pets she keeps to help her feel like a proper animal rescuer. After what feels like a not-long-enough break, April finds herself back at school and determines to be on time for once for teacher Mr M, who has been so supportive of Ben as he seeks help for his OCD that April has felt able to tell him about her dyspraxia – something she feels embarrassed about.

Following the rearrangement of the class’s seating plan, April finds herself no longer sitting with Ben and thinks back to the additional help she had in primary school, which at the time she resented but now sees the value of as much of the work she is given is inaccessible to her. Doodling on the worksheet Mr M gives to her, at the end of the lesson she is too ashamed to hand it in and after having more problems in history later that day, she finds herself with a red slip – a mark against her that is the first step to a detention. As April experiences more and more problems in lessons, she finds that turning 13 brings additional stress as the pressure on her to find a boyfriend starts to increase. When everything spirals out of her control, April finds herself feeling red and ends up not just in big trouble but with her friendship with Ben at breaking point. Can she find a way to be herself and to fit in at school and at home?

Growing up is one of the hardest things that any of us will ever do and for April the process of leaving behind imaginative play is one that she – quite understandably – is not yet ready for but feels that she should be. The pressure that she feels from her peers and, most of all, herself to be the same as everyone else is a burden that is added to by the difficulties she experiences because of her dyspraxia. At home, she feels as though she is constantly compared to her much older, and far more academic, brother and in school she feels stupid in comparison to her peers who appear to have no problems accessing or completing the work that is given. Adding to these feelings enormously are some of the adults in her life, whose cruel comments and behaviour – either unintentionally or, more shockingly in the case of one of her teachers, deliberately – cause her to lose much of her sense of self-worth.

This feeling of being stupid is one that many of our children – and indeed many adults – will recognise from their own lived experiences. Although none of us would say that maths and English are unimportant, schools sadly seem to be being pushed towards allocating more and more time and effort to these subjects at the expense of others impacting on those children, like April, who excel in other, more creative, areas of the curriculum or have great interpersonal skills, for example, that will lead them into jobs where good maths and English qualifications are not necessary. For April, like many others, this pushing has sadly switched her off reading and adult readers will be thrilled to see the efforts of Mr M and school librarian Mrs Jameel to support her in rediscovering the pleasure there is to be found in books.

Written with the greatest of empathy by mental health campaigner Lily Bailey, this is a book that is ideal for confident readers in Year 5 upwards and would make a great class read in upper KS2 where a huge amount of valuable discussion could be prompted by it being shared. If you’ve read When I See Blue then you will recognise Ben from that read but this works perfectly as a standalone title and is one that should be on the shelves of every primary and secondary school library.

As always, my enormous thanks go to publisher Hachette and to Net Galley for my advance, virtual read. When I Feel Red publishes 15th February.

This is a really lovely book for all the young people (and more than a few adults) who are struggling to find their place in the world. If you have ever felt significantly out of step with your peers, this book will resonate.

April is finding it's difficult to cope with the challenges thrown up by Year 8. Not only does her dyspraxia involve specific and sometimes mysterious challenges with regard to her academic workload, the social aspects of school are also beginning to get to her.

Everyone seems obsessed with pairing up at a time when April is more concerned about animals in need and how passionate she feels about caring for them. Like the elusive tabby cat she has spotted on the streets, which is clearly in distress.

But some of her teachers could not care less about how April feels about anything. And with her parents and brother all being doctors and high achievers, it really brings home to her that she doesn't seem to belong anywhere, not even within her own family.

With even her relationship to best friend Ben in peril amidst to all the new changes, how will April cope with all the emotions - not least the sheer rage - swirling within her and occupying her heart and mind to the exclusion of most other things?

This was a delightful, easy read, and April is a highly relatable character even if you do not share her particular characteristics or challenges. Highly recommended.