My Name is Jodie Jones
“A profoundly poignant, beautifully written YA contemporary novel, with a brave, brilliant heroine.”
” … a highly original coming-of-age story narrated by a unique heroine.”
- Children’s Books Ireland https://childrensbooksireland.ie/our-recommendations/my-name-jodie-jones
“Dealing with darker themes of mental illness and abuse with sensitivity and empathy, this is not a book you will want to put down. Shevah’s word-play is delightful and endlessly witty. Jodie Jones celebrates the fact that she has an interior world in which she is free to be whoever she wants, a world that nobody can access without her permission. It is a privilege to be given access to this world as a reader.”
” … a slow building story that unfurls around the reader, drawing you irresistibly into Jodie Jones’ mindset. Unique and moving, Jodie Jones is a heroine and a story not to be underestimated.”
- Sarah Webb https://www.instagram.com/p/DN5J5AzDIRs/
“I am undone. What an extraordinary book! I’ve just finished reading My Name is Jodie Jones and I am beyond impressed – one of the standout books of 2025. @emmashevahauthor has created one of the most complex, interesting and unique characters in any book I’ve ever read. Like Jodie Jones, I love words and a good sentence, and I often jot them down in a notebook. So I adored her obsession with unusual words and beautiful sentences. The book is peppered with Jodie Jones’ favourite lines from books and poems like The Great Gatsby and Wild Geese by Mary Oliver. (Mary Oliver ❤️) The whole novel is a literature lover’s dream! But it’s so much more than that, it’s an examination of trauma, a mystery story, and an ode to friendship – Jodie Jones’ best friend, Becca is magnificent.
The plotting is fiendishly clever, towards the end of the book I gasped when I realised what Shevah had managed to do. And some of the scenes made me sob for little Jodie Jones.”
My Name is Jodie Jones is the most exceptional first hand narrative that I have read this year. The main protagonist is extraordinarily intelligent, single-minded and traumatised. … I was completely entranced by this book … relish every beautifully constructed sentence … I have lost count of the number of sticky notes that I used to mark appealing passages! This is a book which will delight all bibliophiles and etymologists. … A definite recommendation.
There are many heartwarming moments in this book and some tragic ones that really set your heart alight. I absolutely loved reading every word in this book, for with Jodie Jones as the narrator, you are given her full attention and she shares her favourite words, sentences and books. I have a favourite poem, “Desiderata” by Max Ehrmann, which I feel Jodie Jones would approve of! Read the poem and choose to buy or borrow My Name is Jodie Jones when it publishes in September. I promise you will be forever changed by it! It is stunning.
- BookWagon https://share.google/XXYzE70PR4k8VTAZv
- Books for Keeps https://booksforkeeps.co.uk/review/my-name-is-jodie-jones/
This incredible YA debut novel is a thing of beauty that cracks the heart and speaks to the soul ..A compulsive and empowering read, My Name is Jodie Jones celebrates the lyricism of literature and its ability to illustrate the human condition. … A triumphant tour de force with a distinctive, fierce and fresh voice, it’s one to watch.
- Love Reading 4 Kids https://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/reviews/25341/My-Name-is-Jodie-Jones-by-Emma-Shevah.html
This book is an astoundingly riveting and thought-provoking piece of art that covers important topics in today’s world such as family pressure, child-neglect, trauma and PTSD in a way that will leave the reader feeling enlightened, empowered and very much in love. Jodie Jones is officially my new, favourite relatable book character!
Jodie Jones is a soul-shocking, heartbreaking glimpse into the divide of a family as they are forced to reckon with the gruelling truth that accompanies trauma, and the realisation that not all trauma comes from the action but our reaction to it. A SUPERB DEBUT.
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Dream on, Amber, Dara Palmer’s Major Drama, What Lexie Did and How to Save the World with a Chicken and an Egg:
US Reviews (where a starred review is a very big deal)
- The New York Times Dream on Amber. The New York Times. Let me just say that again. THE NEW YORK TIMES.
- Summary of the starred reviews for Dream on Amber
- Booklist July 2015 Dream on Amber (starred!)
- Publisher’s Weekly Dream on Amber (starred!)
- Kirkus Dream on Amber
- SLJ Dream on Amber
- Kirkus July 2015 Dara Palmer’s Major Drama (starred!)
- Publisher’s Weekly Dara Palmer’s Major Drama (starred!)
- SLJ Dara Palmer’s Major Drama (starred!)
- Kirkus Lexie’s Little Lie
- SLJ Lexie’s Little Lie
UK and reader reviews
- Nicholas Tucker in The Independent (They got my name wrong but hey)
- The Bookbag: Dream on Amber
- Love Reading For Kids: Dream on Amber
- Bulletin of the Centre for Children’s Books: Dream on Amber
- The Guardian – reader review for Amber
- The Guardian – reader review for Dara
- Surrey Advertiser, Thursday 24 April JNM week 17
- NGK0414whatsup.v5
- Book Murmuration: What Lexie Did
- Daydreamer’s Thoughts: What Lexie Did
- Booktrust: What Lexie Did
- Just Imagine: How to Save the World with a Chicken and an Egg
- Booktrust: How to Save the World with a Chicken and an Egg
- Margaret’s Reading Shelf: How to Save the World with a Chicken and an Egg
- Love Reading 4 Kids: Dara Palmer’s Major Drama
- What Lexie Loves (by Lexie aged 11)
- Booktrust recommended read: Time Travel at Puddle Lane
- Books for Keeps: Time Travel at Puddle Lane
- The School Librarian: Time Travel at Puddle Lane
- Red Reading Hub: Ping and the Missing Ring
Emma Shevah 