Candy

This was a good book. It very realistically handled the subject of addictions, and gave effective descriptions. It was very easy for me to picture what was happening. And as a bonus, there were some pretty nice one liners. Also, it ended on a deep, thought-provoking, somewhat encouraging note(while not being overly idealistic) and I really liked that.

I didn't absolutely love it, but as I read it I did get quickly drawn into the story. It's a powerful story about a fairly innocent teen boy who develops an attachment to a girl he meets, and as a result finds himself pulled deeply into an underground world that he doesn't know or understand anything about. Told with a sense of realism and in a gradually darkening style that pulls you in the same way Joe (the main character) gets pulled into a far darker reality than any he has previously faced, you probably won't be able to stop reading it until you're done, if only because you will want to know how it ends.

Not one of my favorites, but definitely worth reading if you're into the genre.

Candy By: Kevin Brooks
Book Review
Makena Brown Sept. 1 2010

Candy is a twisted love story, filled with many emotions and struggles. Joe Beck, the protagonist of the story, is a young and very naive teenage boy in a band. The day he met Candy, his boring, normal life slowly evolved to be all about that one girl he barely even knew, but oddly enough cares about. Candy is a young heroin addict and results to selling her body in order to feed her addiction. Her pimp, Iggy, is in full control over her life and will not let anybody interfere with their business together, especially not Joe. The author Kevin Brooks captures the emotions of the characters very realistically and fully makes their hearts stand out, so the reader could feel the show more characters true feelings.

This story is all in the perspective of Joe; he s confused throughout the book not knowing how to handle the situations he gets himself involved in. He has many mixed emotions and can t keep his mind preoccupied with anything else but Candy. Everything about her makes him fall in love with her, he ignores the fact she's addicted to drugs and a prostitute and loves her for her sweet, one of a kind personality. Joe is the only character we truly come to know, everybody else is just seen through his eyes. Kevin Brooks made the reader feel how Joe was feeling, the confusion and the crazy feelings of love drew you into the story.

The setting of this book takes place in the city of London, England and then progresses into the countryside as the story climaxes. Candy and Joe have a secret relationship, always cautious of the wrath of Iggy. After finding out Candy was abused by her pimp, Joe decides spontaneously to rescue Candy from the nightmare she is living in and she can't escape from on her own. The two of them run away from the chaos and retreat to Joe's countryside cottage far away enough to remain fearless. The story drastically changes while in this new setting, it's more of a tamed environment where the simplest issues stand far out from what happened in the city.

They are put through an extreme struggle as Candy is withdrawing from the drugs. Gina, Joe's older sister and her fiance Mike are a big support during the time Joe and Candy are trying to overcome the situation they are involved in.

Candy may get you hooked. The Love, passion, drugs, fear, and brutality of the story keeps you wanting more. The rush of all the emotions that sweep over you as you are turning each page, gives you a craving for more Candy. Kevin Brooks wants you to feel what it would be like in Joe's position. He makes you wonder, thinking to yourself "What would I do?". This shockingly, twisted, love story is definitely one of my favorite books, by far. show less

Joe Beck's life is pretty run-of-the-mill. Parents separated, doesn't get on so well with his father, goes to school, plays with a band, tries to stay out of trouble. And then he meets Candy.

Something about her draws him right in. He can't believe she's talking to him. That he could be so lucky. And when he gets chased off by a very large and very scary Iggy, who can only be her Pimp, he can't believe that either. He mulls it over for a week, after finding her number in his pocket, then calls to ask her out, knowing it's the only thing to do.

At the Zoo she seems so normal. She explains Iggy away as some guy who's just a little crazy. Joe wants to believe it, so he does. When she leaves him in the cafe to go to the bathroom and comes show more back changed, he understands she must use drugs, but he doesn't give that much thought either. She likes him. He likes her.

But when she comes to his Band's show only to be dragged off by Iggy and his hoarde, a fight which gets Joe's brother-in-law to be injured, things come to a head. With nowhere left to turn, he finally tells his sister everything. Unable to believe there's nothing he can do to help, and unable to get Candy on the phone, as soon as his dad's left for his business trip, Joe takes off, losing all cares about being grounded.

He takes a train back to the spot where he first stumbled into her. Nothing. He wanders around London, trying to find somewhere within 10 minutes that could be the spot where she lives. If that part was true. Ready to admit defeat, he's heading back to catch another train when he spots Iggy leaving the station, and gets it in his head to follow him.

After being led to the house, he hides in the bushes for quite awhile, making his move when an elderly woman loaded down with shopping bags arrives. He helps her carry them in, then takes off up the stairs to find Candy. And find her he does--severely battered and bruised. Broken, she tells him everything. How she came to be here, how it went so far. They're concocting a plan to get her out of there when Iggy returns. There's no saying if Joe could have stayed hidden in the bathroom if his cell phone hadn't rung. But it did. And things very suddenly became life or death.

With a straight-edge razor held to his throat, Joe is staring at the end, when Candy breaks a lamp against Iggy's head. They quickly bind him up with tape, and take off into the night. They stop at Joe's house for supplies, then board another train, heading for the summer cottage. The plan is to get Candy clean, then take it from there. Iggy won't find them. He's sure of it, despite a nagging at the back of his brain.

But just when the worst of it seems over, when Candy seems to be herself again, and not a withdrawl insane version, Joe realizes just what kind of trouble he's in. Iggy has his sister. He can find them, because Joe tells him exactly where they are. Any bargaining power he had has gone. Even with Mike on the way to help, there's no knowing if he'll beat Iggy to them, or what they can do even if he does.

In the end, it turns out in a way no one would have imagined.

Time goes by, but Joe can't remember how life was before Candy. All he can do is struggle to find his way back to it. show less

This is a book aimed at the teenage market I didnt realise.
Its still a good read though. The main character is Joe Beck a shy boy who falls for Candy a teenage prostitute he rescues her from drugs and her pimp.
Far fetched but enjoyable non the less.

Candy is a compelling book. I found myself not wanting to put it down. I was drawn the characters.

Joe Beck goes on his normal rutine to the doctors, but on his way back he meets a girl named Candy. Candy was different from other girls, and since the first time he talked to her, Joe became obsessed. When Candy and Joe get together, they realize that just "being together" isn't that easy. Throughout struggles and some pretty hard times, they realize what they both want out of eachother and their lifes.