Ruby has always felt that she lives under the shadow of her perfect cousin. Yasmin has always been their gran’s favourite and is constantly upstaging Ruby in everything.

Yasmin has the perfect boyfriend, the perfect grades and a perfect future planned. When Ruby has ever beaten Yasmin in anything, as soon as Ruby gets any attention, Yasmin has a fainting spell, drawing the attention back to herself once again.

After years of this treatment, Ruby tries to pretend that it doesn’t bother her anymore, but deep down it still hurts.

This read for dyslexic or reluctant readers tips expectations on their heads as a cousin shares her feelings about how small she feels around her more glamourous, clever, and driven cousin named Yasmin.

As I read of Ruby’s plight, believing more and more that her woes were real and her cousin really was all the terrible things she believed, I was then given Yasmin’s point of view.

Boy, was I wrong.

There is always two sides or even multiple sides to a story, the more people who are involved. Nobody really knows everything another is thinking, no matter how close.

Because of misconceptions between two cousins from childhood, communication had completely broken down, which in turn hid some terrible truths.

Intriguing read.

Author – Karen McCombie

Illustrator – Sofia Miller Salazar

Dyslexic Read

Interest age 11+ / Reading Age 7+

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Publisher – Barrington Stoke / Collins

Set – Present London

Viewpoint – Dual perspective

Violence – No

Sex – No

Real Life – Yes

Fantasy – No

Blend – Real Life / Family / Misconceptions

(2025, Barrington Stoke, Collins, Family, Cousins, Rivalry, Misconception, Miscommunications, Boyfriend, Swimming, Dyslexic Read, Dyslexia, Reluctant Reader, Truth, Control, Making choices, Betrayal, Growing up, Real Life)