You've Got A Friend

I am absolutely loving this funny, intriguing time travel series! And You've Got A Friend is a welcome addition. Molly and Beths' friendship is very close and they are adjusting well; now being more like sisters than simply friends. Their unique personalities play well against each other, adding many clever and delightful moments, as they try to navigate their way through the 70s; the clothes, the scenarios, the geography (Dublin has changed a lot) and the people... and keeping their real identities under wraps. The relationships within the story are handled with an expert hand and just the right amount of drama and humour as their friendship is always tested and strengthened. Time-travel tends to do that. This leads to a story that is not only utterly enjoyable and believable, but also revealing. I have to mention the inclusion of musical references that adds a great deal of understanding about the story itself. (If your young readers aren't familiar with the songs, you now have a great opportunity to share them. They will love it!) Judi Curtin writes in a way that really brings this story to life. Charming, wonderful and filled with heart, there is a lot to entertain here, but also a lot of depth and insight.

-- Fallen Star Stories

in this thoroughly modern tale, Curtin’s writing is full of her trademark warmth and passion, and she once again displays her skill in capturing precisely the way young girls think and speak

-- Inis Magazine, January 2019 issue

a fantastic follow-up to Time After Time and Stand By Me

-- Sunday Independent

Curtin's books are heart-warming but they also deal with some thought-provoking subjects, such as Direct Provision and elder care. In this book, Molly's dad seems lonely so she and her friend Beth travel back in time to the 1970s to see if they can right some wrongs

-- Irish Independent

I thought the book was very heart warming

-- Erin, 5th Class, Scoil Naomh Eoin, Killenard * Seomra Ranga *

absolutely brilliant

-- Nayu’s Reading Corner

ten-year-olds will be engaged by the girls’ exploits in a tense adventure story with many plot twists

-- Irish Examiner

the only companion you’ll need … CS Lewis meets Back to the Future

-- BBC Radio Ulster’s The Arts Show

a great follow-up to Time After Time and Stand By Me … heart-warming

-- Belfast Telegraph

fantastic … heart-warming

-- Evening Echo

Judi Curtin takes her young protagonists Beth and Molly back in time again in this new book, to 1975 to be precise. It’s a total culture shock – the two girls know nothing of Chopper bikes, the Bay City Rollers, Jackie magazine or the SodaStream, though it’s hardest for them to understand the strange misconceptions about women and their abilities, which everyone seems to accept as normal … excellent series … The story is full of adventure and excitement – going back in time is not without its risks, and the normally quieter Molly has to be particularly resourceful and brave in this episode – but the emphasis is really on family, love and understanding and there can be few books that prove so clearly yet so delicately to readers that parents are still just people, who might occasionally need your help. Judi Curtin’s writing is characterised by its warmth and compassion, as well as by her ability to absolutely nail the way young girls think and speak. Beth and Molly are exactly the kind of people readers would want for their friends, while this story will resonate with them in all sorts of ways -- 5 Stars

-- Book of the Week * Books for Keeps *

Stories about families are always popular, especially with girls, so no wonder this series has proved a big success … a super evocation of the period, with a strong message about loyalty, friendship and determination

 

-- Parents in Touch

Curtin certainly hits the Wilson pre/early teen market spot on with this one: best friends, complicated family relationships, tears and cuddly animals. Put all that in the mix with the kind of time travel plots that Curtin made her own in her forever friends series and you’ve got an emotionally charged adventure where the wrongs of the past can be put right by two teenage girls. Along the way, Curtin manages to probe some weighty issues, including advances in gender equality since the 1970s and men’s willingness to talk about their feelings … This has all the hallmarks of another hit from Curtin

-- Evening