Read Between the Li(n)es by Malcolm Duffy - Review

I can't remember where or when I picked this book up but I obviously did at some point, and I picked it up towards the end of September. I'm reviewing this like six weeks later as I've just been so busy and have been on holiday, so some of the details of the book are a bit lost to me now. However, I didn't like it much - I don't think it was as good as Me Mam, Me Dad, Me by Malcolm which I read years ago and liked. 

Anyway, there are two protagonists of this book. Firstly there is Ryan. His parents are divorced and he is living in the south of England with his dad, although he is from the north east. His mam isn't around much. Ryan and his dad are living with his dad's new girlfriend, whose name escapes me right now, and her son, Tommy.

Tommy has been in a young offenders institute for a year and now he's back home. He's got to start school again in Ryan's year, although he's older. Ryan's mam thinks he is a bad lad and doesn't want Ryan living with him, but what can she do? Ryan wants to get on with Tommy but the two clash to begin with. Tommy is well liked at school but he's also prickly and can be difficult. He finds school difficult, because he is dyslexic, and he has never got help for that. 

Ryan is dyslexic too, but he's been well supported in it so he is doing well in school. He has things that help and strategies, so he is a bit nerdy. He wants Tommy to like him as he doesn't have many friends in his new area.

The two get closer and Ryan shares how he learnt to read and all of that stuff. Secrets start to slide out, which as an adult I found a little bit predictable, but a teenager may not find it that way. So maybe I can't really judge on that score. 

I am giving this three out of five. It has positive things - it's UK based, it's a normal family situation, and I liked what Tommy went through as a teen that landed him in trouble. But the negatives just outweighed that a bit for me.