Girl (In Real Life)

Tamsin Winter's Girl (In Real Life) is a funny and honest story for 11 year olds about a girl whose whole life has been filmed for YouTube.

What happens

Eva Andersen is in Year Eight. Her mum and dad run a family channel called All About Eva, watched by over 400,000 people. They've posted everything since before she was born, from her first nappy change to a tantrum about peas.

Eva doesn't want to do it any more. She's shy, she's hopeless at physics and she'd much rather be drawing. Every embarrassing clip gets passed round school, and a boy called Alfie never lets her forget any of it.

It's told by Eva herself, which makes it very easy to be on her side. She's funny about sponsored yogurt and matching T-shirts with her mum. She's sad about missing her best friend Hallie's gymnastics competition for a photo shoot. You can go from giggling to cringing on the same page.

Her parents aren't villains, which is what makes it interesting. They clearly love her. They just can't seem to stop filming, and they don't really hear her when she says no.

Worth knowing before you hand it over

Growing up is a big part of this book. Eva starts her first period in a café toilet, and her mum then throws a period party at home (with confetti). There's a vlog about pubic hair that gets shared around, and some mean comments online.

It's all handled with humour and a lot of kindness, and nothing is graphic. For a reader who's nearing that stage, it could be really reassuring. For a reader who'd squirm at reading about it, it might be one to save for a bit.

It's also a great way into talking about phones and privacy. Should parents post pictures of their kids online? Your reader will probably have strong opinions!

What to read next

If this one sparks a conversation about friendships and screens, Rachel Vail's Unfriended is about a thirteen-year-old with her first phone who is suddenly invited to sit at the popular table.