Ginger and Me - Elissa Soave

Wendy is lonely but coping.
All nineteen-year-old Wendy wants is to drive the 255 bus around Uddingston with her regulars on board, remember to buy milk when it runs out and just to be okay. After her mum died, there’s nobody to remind her to eat and what to do each day.

And Wendy is ready to step out of her comfort zone.
Each week she shows her social worker the progress she’s made, like the coasters she bought to spruce up the place, even if she forgets to make tea. And she even joins a writers’ group to share the stories she writes, like the one about a bullied boy who goes to Mars.

But everything changes when Wendy meets Ginger.
A teenager with flaming orange hair, Ginger’s so brave she’s wearing a coat that isn’t even waterproof. For the first time, Wendy has a real best friend. But as they begin the summer of their lives, Wendy wonders if things were simpler before. And that’s before she realizes just how much trouble Ginger is about to get them in…

An unforgettable debut novel from the winner of the Primadonna Prize 2019 which will stay with you long after the last page.

My review:

A fantastic debut from Elissa Soave, telling us the story of two extremely vulnerable people in society and how in differing ways both have been let down by the people supposed to be taking care of them. A warning to all about how easy it can be to neglect those that appear to be doing ok but really are just very good at covering up the truth.

A heart breaking, and at times difficult read – the friendship between Ginger and Wendy is that of two lost souls needing someone, both taking what they need from the relationship at different times. Wendy is a bus driver, happy with the route and regulars she sees doing this. Underneath she is lonely, her Mum was a big part of her life and is no longer there to pointing her in the right direction. Wendy manages to convince people she is ok, when really she needs help. Fixating on things and people, Wendy doesn’t see where things could go wrong.

Ginger is young, and surrounded by people wanting to use her for their own benefit. She is streetwise, experienced far too much far too young. She has nothing really in common with Wendy so it is a strange friendship at first.

At the beginning we find Wendy being taken away by the police with concerns for her friends; the story is then the events leading up to this. Its done in a very clever way, we understand Wendy and her reasons for doing the things she does, we see that she doesn’t have as much support as she needs really, despite having her own social worker.

It’s a brilliantly written story that is sad at time, upsetting, dramatic but is offset with moments of humour that will make you smile.

Highly recommended!

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