Posh And Prejudice by Grace Dent

Yet another clever book in diary form about a young girl with a quick wit who wants to make a better life for herself from backwater Essex, England. A chav is a poor working class person in Britain. A helpful glossary at the back of the book expands the definition by comparing a chav to calling someone trailer trash. Shiraz does not think of herself as a chav. She has enough smarts to pass the GCSEs (a test after high school), so that she can continue her education to enter a University. Shiraz would be the first person in her family, and indeed, one of the first in most of the town to go on to higher education. Her family and boy friend can’t imagine why she would want this. Her mother is tells her that flipping breakfasts in Mr. Yolk should be exciting enough for anyone. Shiraz knows she’s smart but her present life in Essex does not require book learning. This book is the sequel to Diary of a Chav, but it can stand alone. Shiraz falls for a spoiled rich boy in her new class, but discovers that being high class does not mean that you are first class. However, her old standby boyfriend doesn’t thrill her either. The book ends with Shiraz unsure of where she belongs; only that she knows she needs to escape Essex. This book does not break new ground, except that the characters, dialog and situations are from England.

Lily Hecker, Pelham

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