Book details
Liz Kessler - Author
A relationship-focused coming-of-age story about a student discovering what she feels and wants, while school, friendship and family pressures shift around her. It offers a queer girl at the centre of the story and treats her emotional life as significant.
Ashleigh Walker is a mediocre student with an assortment of friends, a sort-of boyfriend, and no plans for the future. Then a straight-from-college English teacher, Miss Murray, takes over Ash s class and changes everything. Miss Murray smiles a lot. She shares poetry with curse words in it. She s, well, cool. And she seems to really care about her students. About Ashleigh. For the first time, Ash feels an urge to try harder. To give something someone her best. Before she knows it, Ashleigh is in love. Intense, heart-racing, all-consuming first love. It s strong enough to distract her from worrying about bad grades and her parents marriage troubles. But what will happen if Miss Murray finds out Ashleigh is in love with her?
Book Analysis
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Sign in for personalised guidanceHow the book presents it: The book presents this favourably.
Talk about: How does Ashleigh’s understanding of herself change, and what kinds of support does she encounter?
How the book presents it: The book leaves its stance open to more than one reading.
Talk about: How does the story handle the difference between a student’s feelings and an adult teacher’s responsibilities?
How the book presents it: The story examines how relationships shift under pressure, with honesty and changing expectations presented as recurring concerns.
Talk about: Which relationships help Ashleigh face change, and which expectations does she need to revise?
This may suit readers seeking a story about identity without reducing its protagonist to sexuality alone. Its emotional range includes attraction, uncertainty, family strain, friendship changes and choices about personal boundaries.
Consider whether the treatment of Ashleigh’s attraction to her teacher and her relationship with Dylan feels balanced and clear about boundaries.
How does Ashleigh distinguish intense feelings from relationships that carry unequal power, and what does the story suggest about speaking honestly when family, friendship or romantic expectations become difficult?
Read alongside an open conversation about consent, adult–student boundaries and the difference between feelings and actions. Pause after major relationship changes, allowing space to discuss coming out without assuming a particular label or response.
Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. Only part of the book information was available, so some details remain unconfirmed.
Book information
Limited information
Relevant to: Teacher–student boundaries
Limited information
Checked: 19 September 2026.
Relevant to: Family and friendship change
Limited information
Checked: 19 September 2026.
Relevant to: Sexual identity and coming out; Teacher–student boundaries
washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com
Limited information
Checked: 19 September 2026.
Relevant to: Sexual identity and coming out; Family and friendship change
Benefits, discussion questions and reading approaches are suggestions. Your knowledge of your child remains part of the decision.
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