Forget Nico: Falling for the Wrong Italian (Italian Teens novel 1, The Italian Saga) by Gaia B. Amman – Review by Jennifer Gordon

Forget Nico: Falling for the Wrong Italian by Gaia B. Amman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Forget Nico, by Gaiai B Amman is an Italian teens novel centred around the main character Leda and her relationships especially with sexy teen heartthrob and bad boy Nico. This story is full of teen angst, emotions and changing teen feelings along with Italian gangs, romance and redemption. The story is more poignant in my view as it’s based on a true story and is interwoven with real Italian culture and Italian words (although mostly swear words)!
When a fire is started in the library at Leda and Nico’s high school the evidence points towards brooding Nico but Leda can’t believe he is behind it, but is she right to fight for him?
I love the character Leda, she’s referred to as a tomboy throughout the book, so much so that when she does wear a skirt everyone is shocked and comments on it. Leda is a very likeable and realistic teenage girl and one I could relate to when I was a teenager. She has the usual teenage girl worries, complicated friendships, hormones, puberty, weight issues and peer pressures as smoking weed is mentioned a lot. Sadly early on in the book Leda self-harms, I felt this was dealt with very sensitively by the author. The book is full of great characters all of which have enough of a back story that you feel involved in their lives, Nico is a typical attractive bad boy teen, then there is Leda’s friend Alex with his own problems and a host of female friends.
Amman’s detailed descriptions of the Italian landscape really brings the Italian summer to life, I found myself escaping into the sights, sounds and scents of Leda’s Italy. This book is part of a series but I felt it also worked well as a stand alone story. Although set in 90’s Italy it reminded me of my own teenage years and the dramas we all face at that age. It is beautifully written and the narrative flows easily making it an addictive book to read. I look forward to reading other books in her Italian Teens series.

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