SuitabookBigg School: Secret Crush
Lisa Williamson
- Reading
- Read alongside a relaxed conversation about changing feelings and setbacks. Invite the reader to compare Astrid’s choices with their own values, without treating her romantic experience as universal.
- Themes
- Being yourself and fitting in: Astrid starts out comfortable being different, then considers changing her appearance and behaviour after developing feelings for Teddy. The narrative appears to question self-erasure for approval while acknowledging that other people’s opinions can matter in planning one’s future.
- First romantic feelings: Astrid and Teddy become friends through shared reading interests, and Astrid develops feelings that are not returned in the same way. The book’s stance on this remains unclear.
- Creative ambition and setbacks: Astrid enjoys creative writing and enters a competition, but her story is not shortlisted; she then writes to a favourite author. The plot includes a creative setback and a subsequent letter-writing response, but the longer-term outcome is not established.
- Worth knowing
- Be aware that Astrid experiences a crush, disappointment when Teddy likes another girl, rejection from a writing competition, and distress about her appearance and sense of purpose.