Ellie Pillai is Brown

Review Ellie Pillai is frank, funny, warm-hearted and wise. I adored this celebration of making your own kind of music, and dancing to your own beat. Pillainayagam has an amazing ability to make poignant narratives heart-breaking and hilarious in equal measure... Ellie Pillai Is Brown is not the clichéd 'torn between two cultures' read. Instead, it's a joyous portrayal of a witty, smart Sri Lankan teen whose confidence blossoms as she overcomes emotional hurdles, with a little help from friends. A beautiful tale about how those around you, especially during your fragile adolescent years, can enrich your life, shape your ambitions and ultimately, provide the love you haven't managed to give yourself yet. ― Brown Girl Magazine This funny, heartfelt, true-to-life, coming-of-age page-turner fizzes with emotional energy and the power of music. ― LoveReading4Kids A warm hearted read that really perfectly captures what it feels like to be a teenager: it's a real whirlwind of emotions and complexity. a really funny book. ― BookTrust I loved the fresh and original voice of this coming of age debut, approaching big themes with a light touch. ― Bookseller Very authentic... hugely enjoyable ― The Scotsman A fresh, funny, feel-good story and a powerful exploration of identity, friendship and family with music threaded all the way through. Christine Pillainayagam brings humour and emotion to her debut, Ellie Pillai Is Brown, in a feel good coming-of-age gem. -- Best Children's Books of 2022 ― The Guardian Warm, funny and hopeful, this story is about a girl struggling to like herself and growing to learn that she is enough. I connected with Ellie is so many ways; from not wholly belonging to the Brown crowd, nor the White crowd to living life with a soundtrack in my head (albeit Ellie would argue her taste in music is much better, I'd have to argue that indeed it is not). The characterisation was brilliant, the characters felt so real that I didn't really want the book to end! I loved Ellie's family, including her matriarchal grandma who was so much like mine, and seeing Sri Lankan Christian rep was wonderful. I do hope there's a sequel as I'd LOVE to read what happened next! A hilarious and heart-warming story that doesn't shy away from the awkwardness of being a teenager. I can't wait to see what Christine writes next. -- Aisha Bushby, author of A Pocketful of Stars Tackling big themes with a light touch is Christine Pillainayagam, a new voice in teenage fiction ― Observer Pillainayagam celebrates identity... There are so many elements from different characters for readers to relate to. This is a debut worth reading... especially if you are a music lover like Ellie! ― Armadillo Magazine So atmospheric and real, and it's hilarious! ― Clare Weze, author of The Lightning Catcher Product Description The perfect coming-of-age summer romance by the most spectacularly funny and original debut UKYA voice. My name is Ellie. Ellie Pillai . . . And I suppose I am a little bit weird, but then, aren't we all, just a little bit? Most days, Ellie Pillai is somewhere between invisible, and not very cool - and usually she's okay with that. But suddenly, Ellie feels different. Maybe it's the new boy at school who makes her brain explode into rainbows every time she sees him (and also happens to be going out with her best friend), or maybe it's her new drama teacher, the one who seems to have noticed she exists. Suddenly, her misfit style, her skin colour, her songwriting and all that getting lost in the music in her head seem to be okay too. Because maybe standing out isn't a bad thing after all. 'I adored this.' Simon James Green, author of Alex in Wonderland 'A feel good coming-of-age gem.' Observer, Book of the Year 'I loved the fresh and original voice.' Bookseller, Highlights of the Season 'A hilarious and heart-warming story.' Aisha Bushby, author of A Pocketful of Stars 'Warm, funny and hopeful.' A M Dassu, author of Boy, Everywher