Siobhan Parkinson's latest award-winning novel covers two months in the life of its teenage heroine, Amy. It is a witty and beautifully written novel, full of fun but with serious issues such as adoption and casual racism delicately explored. In the course of two tension-filled months, Amy learns about gaining and losing friends, resisting bullying and developing self-reliance. There is a real treat in store for those lucky teenagers who read Siobhán Parkinson's Dialann Sár-Rúnda Amy Ní Chonchúir.
Celia Keenan, Sunday Independant, 07 December 2008

Young teenagers, girls in particular, if one may say that, love diaries. This book is for them. But there is also a story and many events that would attract a wider audience. Readers will identify with Lucy's passion for a particular teacher, with the efforts to associate romantic attachments with Marietta, one of the recurring characters, with the shopping and the Bebo incident for example. Philosophical questions such as the existence of the 'Den' when not on screen; the meaning of a Life Saving Certificate or diary writing skills. Adoption, though not an issue, is a recurring theme.

Because this is a diary there are opportunities to have different ideas, short sentences, and lots of paragraphs on one page. The book is very approachable as a result. Many readers prefer dialogue to description and trends of thought and that is what we have here, even though it may not be strictly keeping with diary style. This is the kind of book that might afford many young readers the opportunity to enjoy using their reading skills.
Déirdre Ní Ghrádaigh, Inis, Spring 2009