{"product_id":"aspiring-ebook","title":"Aspiring Ebook","description":"\u003ch1 class=\"strapline\"\u003eAn engaging, funny and moving novel about a boy trying to make sense of it all\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"styledLink strapline\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWinner of the Young Adult Fiction Award at the 2020 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFifteen-year-old Ricky lives in Aspiring, a town that’s growing at an alarming rate. Ricky’s growing, too — 6’7”, and taller every day. But he’s stuck in a loop: student, uncommitted basketballer, and puzzled son, burdened by his family’s sadness. And who’s the weird guy in town with a chauffeur and half a Cadillac? What about the bits of story that invade his head? Uncertain what’s real — and who he is — Ricky can’t stop sifting for clues. He has no idea how things will end up . . .\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith sunlight, verve and humour, award-winning writer Damien Wilkins brings us a beguiling boy who’s trying to make sense of it all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"styledLink strapline\"\u003eTo download teacher notes, click\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca title=\"Aspiring Teacher notes.pdf\" href=\"https:\/\/www.masseypress.ac.nz\/media\/1883\/aspiring-teacher-notes.pdf\" data-id=\"3598\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo look inside, click\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca title=\"Issuu\" href=\"https:\/\/issuu.com\/masseypress\/docs\/pages_from_aspiring_draft_inside_pages_2\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"strapline\"\u003e‘\u003cem\u003eAspiring\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis a cleverly crafted and uniquely positive portrayal of a young man making his mark his way in a small but largely untapped world. The story is one you want to stick with, an elaborate yarn told with honesty and hope, mixed with just enough Kiwi quirkiness to smile about in each chapter.’ —\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca title=\"The Sapling\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thesapling.co.nz\/single-post\/2020\/03\/13\/Book-Reviews-Fresh-YA-from-Mountains-to-Coast\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThe Sapling\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"strapline\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e‘\u003c\/span\u003eAward-winning writer Damien Wilkins never set out to write a YA novel, but young male readers will be glad he did. . . . Described as a “hymn to the internal lives of boys today”,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eAspiring\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis a must-read for any boy who is in need of such an anthem.\u003cspan\u003e’ — \u003cem\u003eNew Zealand Herald\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"strapline\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e‘\u003c\/span\u003eAspiring\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan class=\"strapline\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis not realism. It’s more playful than that, more exaggerated. Large characters, major events, huge emotions. No, I needn’t have worried.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eAspiring\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis thunderously good — poignant, kind, funny and packed with story.\u003cspan\u003e’\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e—\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eBreton Dukes,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca title=\"Landfall Review Online\" href=\"https:\/\/landfallreview.com\/leaping-lightly\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eLandfall Review Online\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e","brand":"Massey Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67705589694784,"sku":"ASPE","price":9.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0944\/6614\/6624\/files\/9780995122949.jpg?v=1769553316","url":"https:\/\/masseypress.ac.nz\/products\/aspiring-ebook","provider":"Massey Press","version":"1.0","type":"link"}