January 2024 Book of the Month | Interest Age 11+ Reading Age 8
Phil Earle admits freely that there is more than a little of himself in the character Marv, certainly that would account for the unmistakable authenticity of the language, the people, and the setting. This highly accessible slim volume captures perfectly that moment when a young man, previously only interested in footie and food, suddenly begins to notice girls and one girl in particular.
Marv falls heavily for new girl Carly and his attempts at wooing and the mishaps that relentlessly occur are toe-curlingly, excruciatingly hilarious. The fact that he is “helped” in his love quest by the ghost of soul legend Otis Redding just adds another delicious element! His eccentric, croc wearing single parent Dad owns a record shop, mainly for his own pleasure it seems, but he is the one who introduces Marv to the songs of Otis, which seem to describe Marv’s feelings perfectly. The advice and scheming of the fast food addicted Otis, who pops up at the most inopportune moments, is less perfect.
There are not enough books for this age group which are genuinely funny, nor are there many relatable books about boys and their feelings. I believe this might be the first romantic comedy from this highly talented and much awarded author, but it’s a genre that he inhabits triumphantly with a sureness of touch that will have readers fighting over it. More please!
From award-winning author Phil Earle comes the hilariously agonising account of one teenage boy’s disastrous attempts to win the heart of the cool new girl at school.
Marv’s fourteen and his life is simple. There’s football. And his best mate, Jimmy. Perfect. Nothing else matters until a new girl at school called Carly crashes into his life. For Marv, it’s love at first sight, his emotions flipped upside down, as he knows a girl like Carly will never notice him. He needs help – lots of it – but when it miraculously arrives in the shape of a musical idol from the past, the path to Carly’s heart proves anything but easy …
First love is unforgettable, and poor Marv is about to learn this the hard way – him, and his northern soul …
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'Delightfully, toe-curlingly cringe for any teen who’s ever felt useless around their crush. Hilarious and heart-warming' – Holly Bourne
'A brilliantly funny and achingly real story that perfectly captures the life of a teenage boy in all of its awkward, cringy glory. I absolutely loved it!' – Simon James Green
'Phil Earle’s hilarious first-love story is for everyone who’s ever dared to fall head-over-heels. It’s note-perfect portrayal of discovering romance is guaranteed to make you laugh, cringe and cheer' – Keith Gray
'Charmingly awkward, angsty and very funny. Northern Soul will strike a chord with all of us who have embarrassed ourselves for love' – Jenny Pearson
'Funny, sharp and full of the hilarious horrors of teenage life. No one can tell a story quite like Phil Earle' – Katya Balen
'Awkward, tender and dull of soul. A Spin the Bottle merry-go-round of a story' – Steven Camden
'A joyous read!' – Lisa Thompson
'A tale of young love, dating disasters, and the ghost of Otis Redding eating kebabs, this was excrutiating and hilarious – and I never want to be a teenager again' – Alastair Chisholm
'I absolutely loved it. It’s so sweet, funny, relatable, well paced and original …' – Sarah Crossan
'I've read pretty well every word Phil Earle has written, but this might just be my favourite of his books. So funny, so charming, so true. This is what it feels like to be a 14 year old boy in love for the first time.' – Anthony McGowan
'I absolutely loved Northern Soul – snort out loud funny, heartfelt and mortifying in equal measure, it's like OTIS, THONGS AND FULL FRONTAL SNOGGING. It wears its heart on its sleeve, and the sleeve has ketchup stains on it.' – Ross Montgomery
Author
About Phil Earle
Phil Earle was born and raised in Hull and kick-started his love of books with a job as a children's bookseller. Phil now works in children’s publishing and is the award-winning author of several books for young readers including Get Me Out of Here, a recent collaboration with Andy McNab, and the young adult novels Being Billy, and Mind the Gap. Phil's When the Sky Falls was Waterstones Children's Book of the Month for June 2021.
