By Natasha Devon (author)
"This compassionate, authentic YA winner sees a 16-year-old grapple with monumental challenges during her coming-of-age journey from West Wales to London"
Paperback In Stock £8.99 £8.09
View All Editions (1)
October 2023 YA Book of the Month
Thought-provoking, gripping, and shot-through with the warmth of a Welsh cwtch (that’s a hug with the clout to make pretty much anything feel better), Natasha Devon’s Babushka is YA fiction at its finest. Prequel to Toxic , though it’s satisfying as a perfectly-formed novel in its own right, this had me reading long after the lights should have gone out, and that’s no word of a lie.
Following a young woman’s rocky road to selfhood, Babushka explores first love, first sex and family bonds with remarkable wit. Add to that the compassion and empathy with which it tackles toxic masculinity, toxic female friendship, teenage pregnancy, and complex mother-daughter bonds, and this amounts to an outstanding triumph.
The set-up of 16-year-old Cerys leaving her rural Carmarthenshire hometown to go to art college in London is deftly done. Her Welsh community and family couldn’t be more authentically conjured, and neither could Cerys’ giddy fear, excitement, and thrill at staying with awesome Auntie Wyn (“I read books, I smoke cigarettes, I know things”).
At college, Cerys is made to feel like a tiny fish in huge, hostile ocean. Her accent and clothes are mocked. She’s instantly cast as a dumb, childish outsider by her snobby, rich Chelsea peers. Then everything changes in the wake of being invited to a party by said snobby, rich Chelsea peers.
Rarely has young adulthood been so brilliantly portrayed — the dreams, dashed hopes, and almost-unbearable decisions. And that cwtch moment when it feels like everything might just work out OK.
'A little babushka is made when you’re young and something happens to you that leaves a scar…’
Read the full description
Cerys Williams has swapped her village in the Welsh Valleys for art college in London and the spare room in glamorous Auntie Wyn’s flat. Cerys knows there’s more out there for her in the world; it’s the year 2000 – she definitely doesn’t have to just get married and have babies and wear beige and cook stews for the rest of her life, even if Mam thinks she should. But Cerys’s London is not glossy or cool or sophisticated, despite what Adept, her favourite magazine, has told her.
It’s lonely and overwhelming and confusing. Until, that is, she meets him…
The prequel to Toxic . A coming-of-age novel about love – the love you think you know and the love you never realised you had, all along.
‘A hugely accomplished debut. Menacing, heartfelt and often very funny.’ - Juno Dawson
‘Such an exciting new author of YA fiction.’ - Holly Bourne
'An astute and pin sharp exploration of the joy, pain and toxicity of teen female friendship. So real it hurts.’ - Sara Barnard
Natasha Devon MBE is a writer & activist. She tours schools, colleges, universities and events throughout the world, delivering talks as well as conducting research on mental health, body image, gender and social equality. She campaigns both on and offline to make the world a fairer place.
Natasha is founder of the Mental Health Media Charter, which scrutinises the way the media report on mental health. She is a Trustee of Student Minds, a Patron for No Panic, an Ambassador for The Reading Agency and a member of the Men & Boys Coalition.
Books for children and teens to tackle toxic masculinity, and positive reads to help boys find a healthy place in society
New research reveals that 29% of 14–25-year-olds strongly think of themselves as a reader, with significant benefits to their mental health
Wondering What to Read after the Bestsellers? Cast Your Eyes on These YA Fiction Titles That Might Have Escaped Your Radar
The LoveReading4Kids Best Children's Books of 2023
the best books for teenagers
Immortal Consequences
Ellie Pillai is Brown
Christine Pillainayagam
The Places I've Cried in Public
'A little babushka is made when you’re young and something happens to you that leaves a scar…’ Cerys Williams has swapped her village in the Welsh Valleys for art college in London and the spare room in glamorous Auntie Wyn’s flat. Cerys knows there’s more out there for her in the world; it’s the year 2000 – she definitely doesn’t have to just get married and have babies and wear beige and cook stews for the rest of her life, even if Mam thinks she should. But Cerys’s London is not glossy or cool or sophisticated, despite what Adept, her favourite magazine, has told her.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Babushka and determined it is suitable for children aged 13-18 years old
Babushka features in the following genres: Art and Design, Educational: Arts, general, Educational material, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Books of the Month, Recommendations, Featured Books for 13+ readers, Gritty Reads, Romance / Relationship Stories, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, School Stories, Star Books, Featured Books for Young Adults
Paperback. £8.09, down from the £8.99 cover price. In Stock.
Babushka was written by Natasha Devon and published by UCLan Publishing
Babushka has 267 pages
£8.09, reduced from £8.99. In Stock.
©PTC International Ltd T/A LoveReading is registered in England. Company number: 10193437. VAT number: 270 4538 09. Registered address: 157 Shooters Hill, London, SE18 3HP. Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer
The National Year of Reading starts here. Join thousands of families and schools supporting reading for pleasure across the UK.