N.J. Gemmell. Coco Banjo has been Unfriended (Coco Banjo #2), Random House Australia, 1 Sept 2015, 192pp., $14.99 (pbk), ISBN 9780857987358
The latest offering from author/illustrator Nikki Gemmell’s Coco Banjo series is a gem. From start to finish, this book was entertaining. As the mother of three teenage daughters, I appreciated how accurately Gemmell tapped into the ups and downs of ‘girl world’, especially the fickle world of friendships.
The illustrations added to the enjoyment of reading. I especially liked the illustrated letters, and the fact each character had their own signature pictogram.
The characters all fitted together well and bounced off each other with often humorous results. Everyone who has ever sat in a classroom will also smile at the antics of their teacher Miss Trample, while the speech bubbles at the bottom of the pages seemed to channel exactly what I was thinking. This book is recommended reading.
Reviewed by Jane Carstens