Take a Chance On Me

Gr 9 Up–After a horrible break-up and friendship betrayal, Evie flees the country. She travels to London for the summer to stay with her semi-estranged father. Evie’s father became obsessive about food and control; it got worse after the divorce. He makes comments to Evie about food, and she’s uncomfortable eating around him. While she’s not crazy about being around her father for the summer, at least she won’t have to see her former friends having their best summer ever. In the first few days wandering around London, Evie meets a busker, Aiden, who seems as heartbroken as she is. She strikes up a conversation with him and blurts out her story, sharing that she’s not looking to date anyone right now. After hearing his sad songs, she assumes that he’s gone through a break-up as well. They start hanging out, and she’s introduced to his group of friends. After a lot of soul-searching and conversations with her father’s ex-girlfriend, Evie starts to wonder if she can trust opening her heart again. While this book tackles several heavy topics—grief, body image, controlling behaviors, trust issues, learning to ask for help, father-daughter relationships—there are a few lighthearted moments included. This romance will make readers want to travel to England, listen to British rock songs, and eat lots of chips. Main characters are white.