Bookshop Girl by Chloe Coles

          This is such a joyful book I found myself portioning out my reading time so that I could spend just a little more time in the company of Paige and Holly.  Our narrator is Paige and her voice is warm, funny and one of a natural storyteller.  You get sucked right in to her world and can't help but want to stay there.

This book focuses around the closure of the Bennetts Bookshop in Paige's home town, which just happens to be where she and Holly work part time.  Like many town centres regeneration is pushing the smaller retailer out and leaving huge swathes empty apart from low cost chain stores, mobile phone shops, charity shops and the uniquitous pound shop.  Paige is determined that this is not going to happen to Bennetts and she only has 4 weeks to stop it.

Whilst the thread of the protest is the over-arcing storyline there is a lot more going on here.  From her determination to get to University and study Art, to her slightly bizarre family and her teenage girl hang-ups.  This is a book full of warmth that feels so realistic - so much so I now feel guilty for buying few real books and mainly reading via an e-reader.  My excuse is our town bookshop closed down more than 10 years ago now and not even a chain bookstore would open in such a small town.

The tale of the protest is actually quite believable - no extreme action that would render it implausible.  Instead a considered protest involving a petition and publicity - not quite slacktivism but not far off.  The only characters we really get to know are Paige and Holly but they are lifelike and fun, girls you wish your daughters (if you have them) would become.

I may be way outside the YA market age wise but I can appreciate a good story and masterful storytelling and this has both in abundance.  A wonderfully fun read that gives you a big hug and lets you know that you are not alone in loving a great book - Paige's speech to Blaine almost had me cheering her on!