by Patrice Lawrence
 
YA BOOK AWARD WINNER 2017
Winner of the 2017 Waterstones Children's Book Prize (for Older Fiction)

"I should have rubbed her fingers to keep the last warmth. I should have stroked the hair back over her shoulder. Life can't jump away from someone that quick, can it? Not so you can't reach it." The girl of his every dream, a hot summer's day, a busy fairground- for a short while, the world seems perfect to Marlon. And then, just as quickly, the skies turn cold, everything turns hazy and what seemed to be truths become suddenly uncertain.

A teen thriller with a perfect pace- spilling and looping and relentlessly picking up speed into a quite dizzying ending. A fantastic ensemble of voices from quick-thinking Tish to the menacing D-Ice to the soulful, warm-hearted and uncertain Marlon. The characters are bold, warm blooded and walk right in to your living room. The East End of London is thoroughly authentic, down to Westfield Shopping Centre (right across the road from us) which hosts one of the many gripping chase sequences. Pitched superbly and respectfully to its teenage audience without a hint of self-consciousness or awkwardness. There is some wonderfully thoughtful insights into peer pressure, gang culture and family loyalty. Perhaps, most of all, the novel explores whether it is possible to sustain your moral core in the midst of chaos brewed by violence and revenge.

This really is addictive reading. And, shhh....: who is Mr Orange?
(Includes a character with a brain injury). Age 14+, Paperback 431pp
 
Themes: Disabilities   Themes: Bullying