Anne Fine

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Carnegie Medal

Children's Laureate 2001-2003

Carnegie Medal 1989, 1992

Whitbread Award 1993, 1996

Guardian Fiction Award 1990

SHADES OF SCARLET

The cover of 'Shades of Scarlet'

When Mum gives her the notebook, Scarlet should be happy.

It's beautiful, with its shiny scarlet cover and its blank pages full of promise.

But Scarlet is absolutely not in the mood for a peace offering. Does Mum really think she can tear their family apart and expect Scarlet to be happy about it?

And it's Dad's fault too. Why didn't he fight to keep them all together? Now Scarlet has to start a new life, and none of it was her choice.

Scarlet decides there's only one thing she can write in the notebook. The truth, about everything...

Shades of Scarlet was nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Award 2022.

"...the perfect novel for young teens... ...a very funny book... An absolute triumph of a novel..."

Booktrust

"Fine is an old hand at describing different variations of family mayhem, and this novel is well up to her past high standards. The blackly comic mind-games played between Scarlet and her mother, each determined to have the last word, are truly something to behold... ...this is a brilliant as well as a timely novel."

Books for Keeps

"Anne Fine has a rare gift for revealing family relationships accurately and painfully but with laugh out loud humour... ... as full of family insight and humour as ever."

LoveReading4Kids,
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month April 2021

"A compelling window into the life of Scarlet... Anne Fine captures the nuanced teenage psyche through deft and accessible vignettes. Highly recommended ..."

School Reading List
Fiction Book of the Month April 2021

"As an exploration of relationships - of children, parents and new partners, friends and siblings - this rite-of-passage story is compelling, entertaining, insightful and kind."

Children's Book of the Week, Sunday Times



Shades of Scarlet, a book for older children, was published on 4th March 2021 by David Fickling Books.