Kerosene

Cal is shy - painfully shy - neglected by his parents and with only one friend in the world, Joel. He is in Year 11 and a talented artist but into his world comes the bitchy queen Emma and her heir apparent Abby who torment Cal to breaking point. Meanwhile, Joel has got himself mixed up in some drug dealing and can't pay his suppliers, and this tips Cal over the edge. The only thing that calms him down is fire and so he lures the dealers into his school (after stealing the caretaker's keys) and the stench they smell as they follow Cal and Joel through the corridors isn't floor polish....it's kerosene.
A book for older readers as there is some drug use, swearing and crime. The chapters relating to the policeman investigating the fires and show more Abby's change of heart are refreshing against the "poor little me" attitude of Cal. Nevertheless a fairly gripping read, set in the poorer areas of England. (Some of the slang is a bit hard to understand.) show less

This was a quick, well-paced YA novel which will especially appeal to teenage boys. Although I sympathised with Cal, Abby ended up being my favourite character and I liked how she helped Cal near the end of the book.

This novel is set in England, so the slang is different: "mates" for friends," "drag" instead of "grass" or "weed," but even with different language, it's not hard to get the story here. Cal is a pyromaniac, but he doesn't want to be. The reasons for his obsession are clear, but the best part is how his friends Joel and Abby try to bring him away from it. They struggle with issues themselves: a mean "popular" girl out to get Abby, and murderous drug dealers after Joel. An exciting quick read.
-Nan Bell, Librarian, Ithaca High School