William Sutcliffe

I haven't started reading books in Dutch. Good reads will only give me this edition when what I want is 'Bad Influence' which I've just finished and was published by Penguin in 2005. I don't know why it's so hard for them to come up with it.

Anyway. An excellent book, written as if by a 10 year old boy, having a perfectly normal life with his family and friends until Carl comes into it. Carl threatens to disrupt his best-friendship with Olly, and then simply threatens. The story becomes increasingly dark as Ben, the narrator, gets sucked into situations he dislikes but can't seem to escape from. A very clever exploration of a friendship and a warped relationship that spirals out of control.… (more)

DNF 45%

Well.

There are some quite funny moments in this book and I would have liked it, however, there was a problematic subplot which I think remained unchallenged. The main character's brother joins a band thats "vibe" is LGBTQIA. So in order to stay in the band he says he is gay, despite being straight. He also makes comments about how being gay makes girls more interested in him and they invite him into their homes and bedrooms etc. That's very problematic on a few levels. It really is a shame because it was so nice to have a funny, high school story about an unremarkable teen making his way through life. I don't think I'll be able to recommend this to anyone.… (more)

Despite only living in Amarias for the past four years, the imposing presence of the Wall was not something Joshua thought about every day. Not when he had a bully for a stepfather and no friends to speak of. For Joshua, this walled city was a strange place to live, with its quiet, patrolled streets and uniform buildings, he was hard pressed to find anything or even anyone, he liked in this town. Since moving to Amarias all he has ever wanted was to leave, and then one day Joshua finds a tunnel that leads him under the wall and what he sees on the other side will change his life.

The Wall segregates all those who are different, all those who are dangerous, from those who belong. But as Joshua soon learns, the world is not always black and white and not everyone outside the Wall is an enemy, just like not all those within the Wall are safe to be around. This is not the story of a revolution, the Wall will not crumble and the world will not be changed by the actions of one person, however one person's world will be forever changed. A story of one boy, the Wall that divides and a hope for the future.… (more)