Steven Herrick is a witty and playful observer of the rules of adolescent attraction. He is also passionate about the world game – and about families, especially the bond between fathers and sons. Herrick’s best weapon is humour. All of this is on show in Slice, his twentieth book and first prose novel. In poetry, Herrick works his magic via tightly written moments of snappy dialogue or interior monologue. Here, Darcy saves him the trouble of charting the inner voice, being something of a blurter, a lad of the ‘talk first, wonder later whether that was a really good idea’ school. This is very much a slice of life novel.

If Slice lacks a chewy plot, it makes up for it with a gallery of likeable characters, its gentle satire, tireless wit, and an absence of both angst and vampires. Teenagers looking for entertainment, escape, and amusement could do worse than to take Slice on holiday, and to reflect on the year they have had and what lies ahead.