When her mum needs to go into hospital again, Angel is placed with yet another set of foster parents.
After missing school for months, she enters Year Eight and meets Tiana who appears keen to be her friend. Only things don’t go smoothly, Tiana’s horrible behaviour towards her classmates leaves Angel feeling uncomfortable.
As Angel gets into trouble she ends up being sent to see the Head of Year on a daily basis. At least in Mr Simpson’s room she can sit in the ‘calm corner’ and have a break from dealing with her classmates and her thoughts.
How can she explain to the teachers and social workers about the fear she lives with constantly, that she’ll never be allowed to move back home.
In desperation, Angel decides to prove she is capable of taking care of her mum in the only way she knows how, by taking part in and winning the school baking contest.
The question is, will she be allowed to continue to take part in the contest if she keeps getting into trouble?
Is it easier to hide her feelings behind bad behaviour than to have to deal with the truth?
Can the adults in her life help Angel to understand she is allowed to be happy too?
In ‘Always Angel’, Kimberly Whittam cleverly demonstrates the pressures and loneliness of the life of a young carer who tries to shoulder the blame and responsibility for her mother’s behaviour.
As a teacher herself, the author paints a realistic picture of what life is like in school complete with lively interactions between the pupils and teachers.
Very quickly the reader is drawn into the lives of Angel, Tiana, Soraya, Ethan and the others. Each has their own problems and their own way of dealing with them. It is interesting to see how Angel tries to help them, being a carer is part of who she is now.
This book left me thinking about the lives of each character. It is a fabulous story which reminds us all to be more empathetic and is an important insight into life as a foster child. One of the most heartbreaking scenes is when Angel describes packing a bag to take with her to a new foster home.
An engaging and emotional read.
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