Emily Bowyer is a normal, confident teenager - lots of friends, loving family and a good student.

But beneath the surface she has a wretched secret. Because, for Emily, life isn't as much fun as it would appear.

Her friends are going off her and her parents only seem to care about her troubled brother.

Plus, she's expected to complete hours of homework, to excel in her exams, to be the perfect student.

Tension, pressure, anxiety, anger and self-hatred. Where does it go when no one will listen? Emily has found a way to let it all out, a way to cope when life is overwhelming.

But it is private. No one must ever find out. "Red Tears" is a shocking, extremely well-researched novel about a girl who self-harms.

It offers a bold and candid look at a phenomenon that afflicts thousands of Britain's teenagers.