LoveReading4Kids Says
LoveReading4Kids Says
Winner of The Branford Boase Award 2024 | Shortlisted for the Children's & YA Jhalak Prize 2024 | May 2023 Debut of the Month
MC Growls (or Shaun to his mum) has his eyes set on fame and fortune, he’s going to win Raptology, establish himself as a top rapper and get the girl. There’s just one problem…he’s not very good. Cue lots of hilarity in this incredible debut novel.
When he accidently goes viral for all the wrong reasons, Growl’s is left a laugh stock. His dreams of stardom quickly fading. But a new friend and a lot of spirit might just launch the comeback of the year.
Not only is this laugh-out-loud funny, it’s also a uniquely warm and clever funny that is so rare to find. The writing style embraces the use of modern slang, and feels fresh, current, and alive. There are no obvious, yet stale jokes here, instead we delight in witty and inventive wordplay that makes every page an absolute pleasure. Yet it’s not all gags and laughs, behind the humour Lessore masterfully and honestly covers a range of difficult subjects, including young carers, poverty, bullying and mental health problems. This is done with the gentlest of touches, never shirking from the truth but never dwelling in the darkness either. Giving the novel an emotional depth and impressive balance.
MC Growls is the realest of teenage boy characters – warm, caring, a bit inept with girls and charmingly naïve. The perfect antidote to toxic masculinity and talk of “alpha males”. Likewise, the friends and family surrounding him leap from the page and feel very real. Just like in real life, the characters in Steady For This are all dealing with their own issues, often with care, humour and resilience.
This is a refreshing, modern triumph of a novel that I can’t recommend enough.
Amy McKay
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About
Steady For This Synopsis
Meet MC Growls, Wannabe Rapper and star of the show in this hilarious and heartwarming teen debut.
Yeah they call me Growls, I'm like a tiger on the prowl. King of jungles so you better take a bow. King of concrete so you better say it loud! Shaun (aka MC Growls) is ready to drop his best bars and smash the competition at Raptology. That way, he's convinced Tanisha, his crush, will finally give him a chance. But when a livestream practice goes epically wrong, Growls's dirty laundry is literally exposed. He's finally achieved his dreams of going viral - not in the good way.
Now Tanisha won't look at him, he's the joke of the school and there's no way he can show his face at the competition. Will he ever catch a break? Then a new girl on the block appears who might be just the friend Growls needs. Especially when she points out that Raptology could be the answer to his problems after all. . . STEP UP TO THE MIC!
It's MC Growls and he's ready for this. He's steady for this. It's comeback season and they call him comeback king for a reason. A hilarious debut from breakout star Nathanael Lessore, perfect for teen readers of Alex Wheatle and Jason Reynolds.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781471413223 |
| Publication date: |
27th April 2023 |
| Author: |
Nathanael Lessore |
| Publisher: |
Hot Key Books |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
257 pages |
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Press Reviews
Nathanael Lessore Press Reviews
Raw, real, fun and bold; I loved every word. This blazing debut is both laugh-out-loud and intensely moving. -- Polly Ho-Yen, author of Boy in the Tower
There are funny books, there are comical books, and then there's Steady For This. To say it was a joy is an understatement. Nathanael has created such a glow of happiness by brilliantly combining the awkwardness of teen life with a barrage of hilarious and heartfelt moments. Nathanael is a much needed fresh, funny and authentic voice. A true star in the making. Steady For This would make the most reluctant of readers fall in love with books. Everyone needs MC Growls in their life. -- J. P. Rose, author of The Haunting of Tyrese Walker
Hilarious and heartwarming, it's impossible not to love Growls and his raw, uplifting way of seeing the world. Deftly written and an incredible debut, Steady for This is pure joy and laughter. -- Beth Reekles, author of The Kissing Booth
Author
About Nathanael Lessore
Nathanael Lessore was born in Camberwell, South East London, as one of eight children to French and Madagascan parents. Although he has spent most of his life in Peckham, Nathanael has also lived in Paris, Strasbourg and Singapore. Nathanael became a marketing executive after graduating from the University of East London, believing at the time that a Creative Writing degree destined him for a career in marketing. Nathanael can run 100 metres in under 10 minutes and has trouble finding sunglasses that frame his face properly.
More About Nathanael Lessore
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