Hope

Praise for the book

Shortlisted for the 2018 Cumbria Secondary School Book Award

‘A wonderful, believable read. Hope is an honest and powerful voice that will speak to many.’ Eve Ainsworth

‘Real characters to root for, laugh with, cry for, and a subject that should be more widely shared.’ Joanna Nadin

‘Rhian Ivory’s Hope immediately won me over for its ability – rare among UK writers – to capture the modern Irish dialect without venturing into “Oirish” territory. Riley, the boy in question, serves as love interest to Hope, who’s struggling with derailed college options, ongoing grief, and mental health issues. Her own voice is completely believable and makes this issue-heavy story both authentic and engaging.’ Claire Hennessy, The Irish Times

‘Rhian Ivory has a real ear for dialogue and understands her audience very well; readers will be gripped by Hope’s journey of healing and self-discovery. One to add to the ‘you’re not alone’ category alongside books by Holly Bourne, Lisa Williamson and Eve Ainsworth.’ Andrea Reece, Lovereading4Kids

‘Ivory manages [all these] different themes slickly and with skill, balancing Hope’s genuine misery with a sense of ordinary teen life, and always emphasising the importance of friendship. Hope’s relationship with her best friend Callie is particularly well-observed, and there are some very moving moments with her mother too. Readers will understand how deeply her mother cares for Hope, even at those times when she is struggling to understand her daughter.’ Book of the Week, Books for Keeps

‘Many readers will relate to Hope’s life and the exploration of premenstrual dysphoric disorder sheds light on an important topic, which could be life-changing for some.’ Books We Like in October, BookTrust

‘The opening to Hope is gripping: teenage angst at a perilous climax. Rhian Ivory encapsulates the emotional turmoil of dashed dreams perfectly and this will not only resonate with 12+ girls, but also their parents and hopefully boyfriends and brothers too! But Hope is the eponymous character and the essence of ‘hope’ is what drives this story. Rhian Ivory has created a potent representation of a teenager struggling with PMDD. Hope is thoroughly convincing; brittle, bruised but equally stoic – her characteristics are inspiring and her struggles engage our empathy. From its perilous introduction, through to the unravelling and rebuilding of the protagonist we root for Hope to find her place of calm and contentment. It was a real pleasure to read this novel and I was particularly drawn to the setting of Birmingham Children’s Hospital and the Singing Medicine Team. This group, formed in part by Hope’s Mum, uses music to soothe sick children. This part of the story is very clever in the layers of emotion it draws from the reader. Rhian Ivory should be congratulated on bringing a little talked about issue to the forefront; but this is not just a novel to supplement a Personal, Social and Health Education curriculum, it is a key to opening up teenage identity for a much wider audience.’ Family Book Worms

‘I love books that truly reflect every day life, and this book does just that. Educating us, along the way.’ Nosaferplace

‘A beautiful and unique read and a must for fans of contemporary YA fiction.’ Books-a-go-go

‘The contemporary side of this story has been written incredibly well – the cast is full of diverse characters who all have their own lives & stories, the casting is honest & realistic, & didn’t have that try hard feel that some diverse books can have (i.e. the characters weren’t included just to tick a box). The people in this book all fit together very well & the dialect all flowed perfectly. I was totally absorbed into the book because it was written so well & felt so real – I really connected with Hope and I felt like I knew her.’ Writing Wolves

‘Brilliant! Touching and truthfulA really full, impressive book, a really full, impressive book.’A really full, impressive book.’ Tracy Rees

‘I thoroughly enjoyed this little gem. It’s out today. You should check it out.’ Cat Clarke

‘A beautifully told story. Hope is a beautifully written book about grief, self-doubt, courage and hope. It made me cry. It also made me download the clue app. An excellent read!’ Liz Corr

‘Rhian Ivory’s Hope is strong and wise and kind and gorgeous. I loved it. Hope is a beautiful book and so carefully covers the hard stuff.’ Alice Broadway

‘Loved the characters, and the writing is just gorgeous.’ Liz Flanagan

‘This book is WONDERFUL.’ Emma Pass

‘SO, SO GOOD. Brilliant characters & a complete emotional rollercoaster. At one point, I wept like a baby.’ Eloise Williams

‘Singing Medicine is very proud to be part of Hope.’ Rebecca Ledgard, CEO of Singing Medicine

‘This is one of the best contemporaries I’ve ever read. It is so real, so genuine & I adored it.’ Zoe Collins, No Safer Place book reviewer

‘Hope made me sob my heart out, an incredible book.’ Hannah Brown, English and Creative Writing student at UEA

‘Hope was an emotional rollercoaster. I empathised for this frustrated, angry, hurting girl and I honestly believe most young people will. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and would urge others to pick it up in September!’ Jess, Waterstones

‘It’s a brilliant book. Totally realistic, & brutally honest, but I found it really happy in a way.’ Faith, 13-year-old book reviewer, account run by her mum, Laura

‘Hope tackles mental health, & this was handled with care, consideration & education.’ Lucy-May, book blogger

‘I felt that Hope realistically portrayed fragile teenage friendships and I particularly enjoyed the messaging between Hope and Riley, which felt very natural. As someone who’s had a few Plan Bs, I was really glad that Hope found hers!’ Alice, Waterstones bookseller

‘A fantastic YA contemporary I seriously recommend reading once it comes out as I was so desperate to know how Hope`s story would unfold that I got through this in a single sitting.’ Amy, book blogger