Jesse Flood is 14 and coming to terms with lots of things.

But coming to terms with himself and how he fits in with the world is not going to be too easy for Jesse.

He thinks he is doubtful, timid and too gentle - but he is also courageous and brave and when faced with difficult choices he is good at making them.

For example he knows he likes a girl with lovely long yellow hair - and he is going to let her know!

In Jesse Flood, Malachy Doyle has created an enchanting and utterly believable young man who we watch with concern and admiration growing up over the course of one summer.

Who is Jesse Flood? By the end of the book both Jesse and the reader have a much clearer picture than they do at the start and he is not at all bad!