Review: Scissors, Sisters and Manic Panics - Ellie Phillips

Scissors, Sisters and Manic Panics by Ellie Phillips, published by Electric Monkey on 3rd June 2013

Goodreads synopsis:
Sadie Nathanson's back - with more style and tangles than ever before. "Mrs Nellist came in for her cut and colour while Auntie and Tiffany were out the back having a coffee, leaving me to sweep up, and that's kind of where everything got really ugly. It was the hairstyle that Mrs Nellist never knew she wanted. That's all it was about. I don't know why everyone had to go so completely hysterical about it, but that's my family for you." Sadie Nathanson is back! After sorting out exactly who she is, she now feels ready to tackle who she is going to be! With hair as her focus, Sadie decides to enter a major hairdressing competition - though she has her work cut out for her when she gets fired from her Saturday job in Auntie Lilah's salon. And if that's not bad enough, it turns out there are yet still more surprises in store Dadwise...

Review:
Sometimes there is nothing better than kicking back and relaxing with a good book and checking in with a familiar face.  That's exactly how I felt when I picked up Ellie Phillip's new book and plunged back into the crazy, hairstyle loving world of irrepressible heroine Sadie Nathanson. 

Sadie is now working in her Auntie's hairdressing salon as a Saturday assistant but spends most of her time sweeping the floors.  She dreams of winning the Thames Gateway Junior Apprentice Hairdresser of the Year Award but things get off to a bad start when things go awry in the salon.  In addition, after previously finding her biological Dad, there's also another surprise in store for her as she discovers a new family link. 

I loved the way in which each chapter begins with some advice and guidelines for budding hairdressers.  This was a nice touch and often linked neatly with what was actually happening to Sadie in the story.  Her determination to follow her dream of being the best hairdresser ever is admirable.  For Sadie, cutting hair is like a vocation and she definitely has a talent for knowing what style suits each individual. 

There's a lovely relaxed style to Ellie Phillip's writing which instantly puts you at ease and allows you just to sit back and enjoy the story, forgetting about everything else going on around you.  There's humour, warmth and drama and plenty of fun unfolds along the way.  Sadie is a fantastic main character who I found myself cheering for, along with the rest of her huge extended family.