Guardian Unlimited Books | Review | From pen to pen
Keith Gray learns a thing or two form Hole In My Life by Jack Gantos
This is much more than simply a scared-straight confessional; there's nothing didactic or patronising in it. Teenage readers will appreciate the frankness and sincerity with which he explores how it feels to be a young person struggling to discover exactly who you are. It also perhaps serves as an illustration of the workings of an adolescent mind bereft of strong family support. Much of the action - raw and unflinching as it is - will be riveting for most young readers, but aspiring writers of any age should read this book. I know I learnt a thing or two.
And Adele Geras finds The Merrybegot by Julie Hearn duly spellbinding:
Hearn writes with great brio and style. Her characters - human, supernatural and animal - all spring off the page. We can hear their voices, and the details of their lives are economically but vividly depicted.
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