Lucky Star - Cathy Cassidy

I don't know what to think about Cathy Cassidy's books. A part of me thinks they try too much to be kids-friendly. They are filled with cute drawings, trendy music and clothes. Plus the author introduces every book herself and she sounds like a teenager, using words like fab and fave. I don't know if I like this attitude. But again, her books are not written for me, but for someone more than ten years younger. Darla's post on her blog Books and other thoughts made me rethink about this a lot. I know Cathy Cassidy is popular and most of the kids who read her will find her cool and friendly.
So, the other part of me really enjoyed Cassidy's latest novel. The only other book I've read by her is "Driftwood". I liked it, and I was actually surprised by that. I still had that feeling that she pushed the niceness too far, but overall, I would recommend it to 10 to 13-14 year-old kids.
Lucky Star was way better though. It helped that it featured the cutest literary stray ever: a little white dog with a pirate patch and a bandana, called lucky. That's what made me go on reading.
Also, for a change the main character was a boy, Mouse, who at 14 already has a troubled past which he would like to forget. His graffiti art helps him to escape the grey reality of his school and of the rough estate flat where he lives with his ex-junkie mother. His life is destined to change the day he meets confident, posh and pretty Cat. This is the lovely, romantic story of their friendship, of their picnics on bus-stop rooftops, of star maps and fireworks. But it's also a story about painful memories and lies, about injustices, and about the importance of fighting back against them.
I liked the characters and their unlikely relationship, I liked how the story was very real but also full of hope and positive thinking. And I just adored Lucky the pirate dog:)
Read it if you want a quick, cute and easy read. Or if you have kids (not just girls) give it to them, I'm sure they'll like it.