Stresshead by Allayne Webster

Omnibus, 2011. ISBN 9781862918207.
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Denise (Dennie to her family and friends) is having a really tough time. With her mum acting super weird, her boyfriend being a total jerk and her Year Eleven results withheld, she doesn't even have her best friend Kat to turn to. Kat has problems of her own. How can Dennie cope with the stress?
First things first, this is not your average run-of-the-mill teenage LOL novel. It deals with some issues rarely seen in this genre, such as accidental pregnancy, depression, and even breast cancer, in a sympathetic and nice way. As well as dealing with the affect of these issues on the patrons themselves, it also took into perspective the way it affected the whole family, and how different people may react. It was a very interesting book, especially as the characters were realistic.
On of the things I loved about this book was the dialogue. It was snappy, original, and down-to-earth, which is also the main quality of this book. It was very down-to-earth and easy to relate to. Overall, it was a nice read. Great dialogue and realistic events made this one worth reading, although it was let down by a sluggish-at-times pace and boring finish.
I recommend this book.
Rebecca Adams (Student)