Tia Fisher, winner of the Yoto Carnegie Shadowers’ Award 2024 for her verse novel Crossing the Line, has been spotlighted in the publication School Reading List for her forthcoming novel, Not Going to Plan.

In the review, headteacher and School Reading List critic Alexia Bolton wrote:

“Fisher’s narrative verse makes the serious subject matter accessible without tapering its impact. The poetry structure allows for both intimate emotional moments and quick pacing that will keep teen readers engaged. Fisher’s use of verse enables the reader to gain a deeper insight into Zed and Marnie, their individual quirks, anxieties, and innermost thoughts, enabling the reader to create emotional resonance with the characters. Sensitive topics are handled with care and authenticity, never evading the complex realities of consent and teenage sexuality.”

Read the review in full here.

When Marnie’s rebellious streak gets her excluded from her exclusive school, she’s forced to take her GCSEs elsewhere, and sit next to Zed, a control-freak physics nerd with zero tolerance for mistakes—which is awkward because Marnie’s about to make the biggest blunder of her life.

Not Going to Plan is a taboo-busting novel about gender identity, consent and shame, which unflinchingly explores the heart-rending decisions a teenager must make as a result of a sexual encounter she didn’t fully consent to.

Not Going to Plan will be published on 28th August 2025. Pre-order your copy here or, better, via your local bookstore and bookshop.org.

Follow Tia on Bluesky @tiafisher.bsky.social.