by Marie Yates

I have recently had a few questions come my way about the fact that Reggie & Me is ‘tackling’ some ‘taboo’ subjects. I’m not completely sure what that means as you only have to switch on the television to hear a number of these ‘taboo’ subjects being discussed and debated on a daily basis. In this book, there is nothing ‘taboo’ about what Dani, the main character, is experiencing or how she learns to navigate her way through her final year at school.

Using the book to engage in dialogue about the experiences that young (and not-so young) people are facing breaks the silence and therefore weakens the hold that these supposedly taboo subjects have over us. I wouldn’t describe that as ‘tackling’ anything; Reggie & Me is simply offering a story of hope.

Whatever experiences the reader has had in their own life, Dani takes them on a journey. This journey, like any other, has ups and downs. There are people along the way who help make Dani’s world a better place and some who really do not. That’s life! By joining Dani, the reader learns with her and can apply the lessons in whatever way they feel is best for them. There are no rules when it comes to creating the best version of you; we each have to find our own path. By breaking down the notion that anything is ‘taboo’, we can stop holding our experiences in, learn to work through them and emerge stronger as a result.

For me, two of the greatest levellers are honesty and laughter. I will admit that sometimes honesty can get you into trouble but hey, so can misplaced laughter. Believe me! The book isn’t about heavy subjects and trying to ‘tackle’ them which, to be honest, does not sound like something I would want to read. Reggie and Me is about Dani telling her truth and she does this with a sense of humour. It is that combination that has created a story that is more than simply one of survival.

Without giving anything away, the book has recently received an endorsement from British Taekwondo. This is incredibly exciting for me as the message they promote mirrors Dani’s experiences. Taekwondo players grapple with challenges and emerge stronger. If you would like to read their endorsement you can find it here.

If this book enables just one person to tell their truth, to know that there is way forward, to take positive action and become the person that they want to be, then Dani has succeeded. There’s nothing taboo about that.

 

You can pre-order the paperback!

£6.99 || $11.95

Oct 31, 2014. 978-1-78279-723-4.

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