Tender

Tender Synopsis

Touching on mental health, family, friendship and the pressures that teenage carers face, as author Cat Clarke says, Tender is a compassionate, compelling and unflinching novel.

Marty and Daisy spend their lives pretending. Marty pretends his mum's grip on reality isn't slipping by the day. Daisy pretends her parents aren't exhausting themselves while they look after her incurably ill brother. They both pretend they're fine. But the thing about pretending is, at some point, it has to stop. And then what?

Tender Reader Reviews

In addition to our Lovereading expert opinion some of our Lovereading4kids Reader Review Teen/YA Panel members were also lucky enough to read and review this title. You can read their full reviews by clicking here.

• Megan Chambers - 'This book was amazing. It made me smile, cry and feel so many different emotions whilst reading it. I loved how it touched upon so many different issues. I would recommend this book to everyone.'
• Rebekah Marsh - 'True love brought together by agonising pain. It’s such a strange concept, yet it’s put together so brilliantly by Eve Ainsworth that it felt so real...Truly beautiful.'
• Edel Waugh - 'Loved this book a lot! Definitely pick this one up!'
• Khadijah Ahmed - 'It's candid, insightful and touching, and ultimately raises an important question: is it wrong to ask for help?... a solid read and one I would recommend.'
• Melanie Chadwick, Benfield School - 'A gripping story of love between two teenage carers dealing with mental health issues and terminal illness.  Hard-hitting and tough, but with hope and an overall positive feel.'
• Linda Brown - 'I found Tender to be such an emotive story and although it’s a work of fiction, it touches on and raises the issues of friendship, family, mental health and the pressures that young carers have to face each day.'
• Claire Berry, Dormston School - 'I like how Marty and Daisy’s struggles are very different and how the storyline makes the reader stop and consider how some people are not as lucky as others.'
• Matilda Greenacre - 'This was a gripping story that showed how small decisions can change your life.'
• Emily Kirby - 'Tender was a good book and I have recommended it to my friends. It’s a great quick read about a subject (young carers) that doesn’t usually come up in books which is great because it raises awareness.'
• Olivia Dally-Fitzsimoms, age 14 - 'I really like this book, I like the characters and the main story because it ended happily. I also loved how it touched upon lots of different issues.'
• Humaira Kauser, age 19 - 'Tender was one of my anticipated YA contemporary books of the year and let me tell you it did not disappoint...It is everything.  It was sweet and sad and has so many hidden gem moments.'
• Henry Smith, age 13 - 'I really liked this book because of the realistic description and the emotion poured into every page. This is a great book from Eve Ainsworth and I really recommend it for anyone aged 13 up.'

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All versions of this book

ISBN: 9781407164304
Publication date: 01/03/2018
Publisher: Scholastic
Format: Paperback

Book Information

About Eve Ainsworth

Eve Ainsworth is a public speaker, creative workshop coordinator and award-winning author who draws from her extensive work with teenagers managing emotional and behavioural issues to write authentic, honest and real novels for young people. Eve lives in West Sussex with her husband and two children. Click here to read more about why Eve wrote Seven Days and click here to read more about why Eve wrote Lost.

More Books By Eve Ainsworth