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The Beck by Anthony McGowan ill. David Wardle

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 2 Apr 2025
An ACHUKA Book of the Year 2025

Waterstones
Bookshop

See also:
Dogs Of The Deadlands [ACHUKA Book of the Day 8 Sep 2022]
Lark [ACHUKA Book of the Day 8 Nov 2019]

“There is so much great humour in this story to balance the occasional poignancy, particularly in the pitch perfect dialogue between the three main protagonists. There are some laugh out loud moments, including several involving Grandad’s Elvis impersonator wig, but there is warmth and wit throughout the whole story.” LibraryLady
“Sentences whizz by, jokey dialogue abounds and clever sub-plots inter-weave with the main action.” BfK 5-star review

I’d go so far as to venture that the first half dozen chapters of this short novel are the finest (and funniest) that Anthony McGowan has ever written. It is probably churlish to say so, but in my view The Beck would have been better without the introduction of an additional child character. She, and not the grandfather, is featured on the cover illustration. It’s a pleasing design but misrepresents the setting of the novel—an urban estate in Leeds.

This reservation aside, it’s a book every bit as good as the opening-page praise heaped on it by the likes of Amanda Craig, Katya Balen, Hilary McKay, Keith Gray and Phil Earle promises and is highly likely to be in contention for ACHUKA’s fiction choice of the year in eight months time. As I say, it is very, very funny as well as being extremely moving. The grandad and his 3-legged dog, Rude Word, are wonderfully envisioned. If I were a producer in a TV drama department, I’d want to pick up those opening chapters and create a mini-series full of humour and pathos. The ceremonial burial of grandad’s wig would make marvellous viewing.

Kyle is less than pleased about getting dumped at his eccentric old grandad’s for the day, but a whole new world opens up to him when he’s introduced to the marvels that can be found in the beck at the bottom of his grandad’s garden.

Once filthy and full of rubbish, the beck has been cleaned up and is now full of amazing creatures. But this magical world is under threat from a new development.

Kyle’s grandad is determined to stop the builders, but when he falls ill, Kyle decides to carry out the plan himself, finding courage and new friends along the way.

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