Emmy Levels Up is hands down one of the best novels I’ve read on bullying – sensitive, warm and with added gaming for great page-turning action.
Helen Harvey explores the effects of name-calling, of underhand bullying, in a school setting. And she does it in a wonderfully age-appropriate manner which, I’m sure, will give her readers bundles of confidence.
Emmy is a HUGE gamer, it’s where she’s found her online tribe, her talent and what makes Emmy… Emmy. School? That’s a different matter entirely. Ridiculed for her handwriting and her lack of money meaning she hasn’t got the ‘right clothes’ – Vanessa, queen of mean, is at the centre of it all. Hovering just outside the teacher’s radar Vanessa manages to make life extremely uncomfortable for Emmy.
Helen Harvey really gets to the heart of the issue, exploring Emmy’s feeling with sensitivity, warmth and respect.
As Emmy’s confidence with gaming grows, she learns that some of those lessons she learnt in beating the Mulch Queen… well, maybe, some of that logic can be applied to school too.
Emmy Levels Up, has a wonderful plot, with the relatable drama unfolding at a great pace. A must read!
