When Claire Cooper was fifteen, she'd swear on her Wham album that...
1. Big hair and rah-rah skirts were here to stay
2. Spandau Ballet would never split up
3. She would marry her idol, heart-throb footballer Andy Pailes
Fast-forward twenty years and things haven't quite gone to plan. And when Claire discovers the 'dream list' she wrote as a teenager, she realises how far her life is from the one she imagined. Divorced, stuck in a dead-end job and dating an ambulance-chasing personal injury lawyer, she decides it's time to put her life back on track.
But what really happened between Claire and her teen idol all those years ago?
And is meeting him again the way to make her dreams come true?
Or a huge mistake?
After reading the blurb I was really excited about starting this book. I was born in 1982 and I remember the 80's fondly, my sister is 6 years older than me and she was a proper 80's child; she had the perm, the Bros tapes and subscription to Just Seventeen! This book is a lot of fun and I loved Linda Green's writing style, we jump between Claire in the present and Claire as the 16 year old, learning more and more about her as the book goes on. I can remember having crushes on the celebrities of that time and I think that the author totally captured the feelings of idolisation you have as a teenager. I loved Claire's fantasy scenarios with Andy and the way in which they were mirrored with what really happened between the two of them.
This book made me laugh on so many occasions and also brought back so many memories, shopping trips to Tammy Girl and buying Smash Hits for the posters and song lyrics. However, this book also has a really emotional twist too which I was in no way expecting. As we learn more about what really happened with Claire and Andy we see the dangerous consequences of falling in love with your idol. When Claire is confronted with Andy in the present she has to make herself see him properly for the first time and decide whether she wants him to be part of her life or not.
Things I Wish I'd Known is a very entertaining book, I think that so many readers will identify with Claire's character. I would highly recommend this one and I shall be off in search of Linda Green's other books.
Thank you to Headline for sending me this book to review.
