1Strongbutsleepy
My memory of this book is really patchy but here's what I'm positive of:
The main character is a teenage boy who is in the foster care system.
The novel is British and aimed at teens. I would describe it as realist fiction.
I received it as part of a selection of second hand books from a teacher who had several realist fiction books aimed for a YA readership, but which dealt with dark issues. Other books include 'Junk' by Melvin Burgess and 'Tenderness' by Cormier.
I read the book in 2006/2007.
Aspects which I am less sure about: 1. The main character becomes friends with a teenage girl. I believe that she is the daughter of his social worker; he knows about the connection but she is completely unaware. I think he might have vaguely sinister intentions? 2. I think the cover was blue, with hand written notes on it (I think they were either torn up or crumpled).
I'm desperately trying to remember key plot points but I'm really struggling. At some point the girl leaves the back patio doors open and the boy sneaks in and he almost attacks her, but instead just ends up smashing things in the room. I think the boy might also wear his mother's bracelet, with a social worker at some point commenting that it's "a bit delicate for a bloke" to wear. The ending, from memory isn't tragic in any way. I also think the main character is close to aging out of the system. He is definitely flirtatious with the main female character, and uses this to get close to her (in an attempt to hurt his social worker?) but I can't imagine anyone describing this novel as a romance.
It's definitely not Burgess’s Nicholas Dane.
The main character is a teenage boy who is in the foster care system.
The novel is British and aimed at teens. I would describe it as realist fiction.
I received it as part of a selection of second hand books from a teacher who had several realist fiction books aimed for a YA readership, but which dealt with dark issues. Other books include 'Junk' by Melvin Burgess and 'Tenderness' by Cormier.
I read the book in 2006/2007.
Aspects which I am less sure about: 1. The main character becomes friends with a teenage girl. I believe that she is the daughter of his social worker; he knows about the connection but she is completely unaware. I think he might have vaguely sinister intentions? 2. I think the cover was blue, with hand written notes on it (I think they were either torn up or crumpled).
I'm desperately trying to remember key plot points but I'm really struggling. At some point the girl leaves the back patio doors open and the boy sneaks in and he almost attacks her, but instead just ends up smashing things in the room. I think the boy might also wear his mother's bracelet, with a social worker at some point commenting that it's "a bit delicate for a bloke" to wear. The ending, from memory isn't tragic in any way. I also think the main character is close to aging out of the system. He is definitely flirtatious with the main female character, and uses this to get close to her (in an attempt to hurt his social worker?) but I can't imagine anyone describing this novel as a romance.
It's definitely not Burgess’s Nicholas Dane.
