See Are We All Lemmings and Snowflakes? in our catalogue
Are We All Lemmings and Snowflakes? tells the tale of Olive, a troubled teen who feels like she is on the edge. With results day looming and her fragmented relationships with her parents and friends, she feels she needs an intervention. She is sent to Camp Reset, a place offering a shot at ‘normality’, where she meets new people, all of whom are fighting their own battles with mental health.
Initially I was sceptical of this book. So often YA authors resort to creating one-dimensional and stereotypical teenagers, who always seem to be the outcast with a sarcastic sense of humour, lip gloss and a mobile phone. Holly Bourne is different. I really connected with Olive. Even though we are incredibly different in many ways, we share the same outlook on life and ourselves, and I think she reflects a lot of people my age.
So often these books on mental health are utterly depressing and, dare I say, generic. But this was different. I think that any young reader could relate to the themes it generates: being kind to ourselves, mental health, friendship, exam stress, and the differences between lust and love.
Are We All Lemmings and Snowflakes? is a touching story of a small group of young teens desperately endeavouring to ‘save the world’ despite needing help themselves. Although the writing isn’t amazingly intricate or diverse, it was still a very engaging read, and made me think about things differently. I would recommend this to any teenage reader.