First Time

by Lara Harte

"A well-observed and beautifully written debut" Catlin Moran, Mail On Sunday -- "A gripping portrayal of a 14-year old girl stumbling, unprepared, into an adult world ..."

Genres: Fiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Deepti · Rating 5 out of 5]

The blurb of the novel promises a powerful portrayal into the mind and life of a teen growing up in an Irish school. Despite being of a completely different culture, I found myself completely absorbed in the story. Even though we faced these problems a few years later where I come from, they are undoubtedly universal. The teen years and the muddle of moods, identities, relationships, issues, that accompanies them spoke to me deeply. It portrays the all too familiar plot of a young girl at school being dismissed by everyone at the least, or bullied, at the most. However, the main character is so likeable. Her timidity, her confusion, her naivete and her gullibility, and her rollercoaster relationship with her best friend- written drama-free with the voice of better judgement, yet non-patronising, is the reason why I will now rank this book among one of my favourites.

[Kellyh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book can be uncomfortable to read, if you would rather not know what fourteen year olds may be up to. It's set in Dublin and the characters are vivid and real.

[Danni Cooper-Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read this after remembering how much I loved it as a teenager! A very quick read about friendship, betrayal, and growing up too quickly… the story itself is simple and the writing is a bit clunky at times. But where this novel shines is the peek into Cassandra’s inner world, her painful analysis of herself and her desperation to find approval with her peers. Anyone who has ever felt different (especially as a teenager) will relate to her confusion and empathise with her struggle to make the right choices when friendship is at stake, even when the friendship begins to feel toxic… it’s a 90s novel and a bit dated now, but almost as good as it was when I first read it!