Book excerpt: A love story with a difference – girl meets girl, they fall in love. A powerful and turbulent novel about first love and crossing boundaries. Louie is a prefect at Woodhaugh High. She plays hockey, passes exams and acts in school plays. She’s going to be a lawyer. Willa lives in a pub. She had an affair with the daughter of a preacher and was kicked out of Miller Park College. She just wants to get through her final exams and become a chef. Quietly. Then they fall in love – fast. And everything the girls were sure of – their families, their friends, their faith, their identities – are called into question. Willa and Louie face the consequences, difficulties and joys of their relationship. A fast-paced, turbulent but ultimately uplifting story of deep, painful, heart-wrenching first love. Written in Paula Boock's crisp, direct style this gripping book has a strong appeal for both adults and teenagers. '...an essential addition for all secondary school and public libraries.' Dr Elody Rathgen, Senior Lecturer in Education, University of Canterbury '...it has such a powerful and beautifully written message about the meaning of love.' Otago Daily Times 'I laughed, I cried, I held my breath, as Paula Boock's Willa and Louie fell in and out of love and dared to be true to themselves. Evening Post