Across the Barricades by Joan Lingard

Across the barricades is a teenage novel about Kevin and Sadie. They live in Belfast and the story takes place during the 1970s when there were a lot of antagonism between the Catholics and the Protestants. Kevin is a Catholic and Sadie is a Protestant and their relationship is looked upon with resentment by people in their neighbourhood. A Catholic shouldn't date a Protestant and people around them become quite violent in trying to stop them from seeing each other.
I think this novel gives a good picture of what it was like living in Belfast at the time of the troubles, when there were Catholic areas and streets and Protestant areas and streets and you couldn't really move around freely. It brings up the subject of belonging to different groups in society and the conflicts it can cause if you happen to fall in love with someone from a different group.
The novel is the second in a series of five about Kevin and Sadie and it can be read as a part of the series or enjoyed on its own.