Will is popular with the girls but they don't see him as boyfriend material and, at nearly 15, he's never had a girlfriend. When he sees a photo of Hannah, his step-mum's beautiful niece who wants to be an actress, he shows it to his friend and pretends she's his girlfriend. Will's reputation soars as he and his friend Barney work out details of her life and personality. But soon, to preserve Will's credibility, his girlfriend must put in an appearance. Barney needs her too to make his girlfriend jealous and the resulting complications lead to very unexpected results.
"Pete Johnson is a wickedly funny writer, and it's a welcome change to have first steps in the dating game described from a boy's point of view." Mail on Sunday
"Authentic dialogue, spot-on character relationships and typical teenage humour make it a winner." Eileen Armstrong, TES
"Will is one of the best teenagers ever brought to life in a novel, by an author whose understanding of what makes teenagers tick is second to none. Just the book for when you need cheering up or to make you feel you're not alone." Eileen Armstrong, Ultimate Teen Book Guide
"It's about time we had a book about boys and their relationships and Pete Johnson has delivered the goods yet again. Faking It is funny, feisty, honest and packed with more teenage angst, confusion and raging hormones than a school disco. A great read." Ian Dodds. Bromley Libraries
"Funny and less traumatic than many novels tackling similar themes." The Bookseller
"A realistic view on what it is like to be a teenager without love. Pete Johnson manages to portray the anxiety and angst of teenage relationships and still finds time to throw in a joke or two. A definite winner and one that will strike a chord with lovelorn teenagers everywhere." Rosanne Bartlett, Chair, Federation of Children's Book Groups
Behind the story . . .
‘Faking It’ is Pete’s best-loved teen book. A comedy and love story back in print for the first time in several years. But how did Pete get the idea for ‘Faking It’?
Pete says, ‘At the age of fifteen I was still going on holiday with my family. I was highly embarrassed about that. So to raise my credibility I made up a girlfriend. I pretended I’d met her on the beach one night. It was love at first sight and we quickly became inseparable. I invented fourteen days of activities for us. And I talked about her so much she really did become real to me. One day, I thought, I shall meet someone just like her. Well, I still haven’t yet! But she was certainly the inspiration for Hannah in ‘Faking It.’ And it gave me the idea of Will, who thinks making up the perfect girlfriend will solve all his problems. That’s when the fun really starts, of course...’
‘Faking It is wickedly funny.’ MAIL ON SUNDAY
‘Pete Johnson is a very funny writer.’ THE SUNDAY TIMES
