Sometimes I read books that don’t have monsters, action, fantasy, horror or monsters in them. Sometimes they are EXCELLENT.
Over the last five years or so Anthony McGowan has been making a name for himself: his books for teenagers are some of the very best around right now. Henry Tumour (or Jack Tumor as it’s known in the US) and The Knife That Killed Me are both particularly good (and, for younger readers, Einstein’s Underpants is brilliant too). But if you’re looking for a first taste of Anthony McGowan’s writing, The Fall (a Barrington Stoke book) is a great place to start.
The story in The Fall captures one of the defining moments in anyone’s life as they grow up: the point where friends thrown together by circumstance (here, school) begin to look at each other more clearly and decide whether they really like each other enough to stay friends. The choices Mog makes in The Fall change him forever.
As ever, McGowan pinpoints the minutiae of ugliness and beauty, desperation, hope and darkness that make up his characters’ emotional lives. The Fall is a small and perfect gem. It might even be the best thing this excellent author has written yet.
Out of Towners by Dan Tunstall describes another crucial point in teenage life – in this case, the first time you go on holiday with your mates. Chris and his friends have escaped to seaside Whitbourne in search of sun, booze, and the chance to meet girls. They find them. But after also attracting the unwanted attention of some local hard-nuts, will the whole group survive the weekend in one piece?
Again, it’s the details that make Out of Towners special. The banter, the anticipation of gearing up for a night out, the nerves involved in chatting someone up, the sudden sick shock when things turn nasty – the author narrates each moment so clearly you feel like you’re right there with the characters, experiencing it all yourself. Out of Towners is only his second book, but already it’s clear that Dan Tunstall is a name to watch.
If you like a bit of grit and authenticity in your fiction, I recommend The Fall and Out of Towners wholeheartedly. Even though neither contains any monsters. ;D
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