Genre: Realism
Release date: 6th April 2009 UK
Target audience: 12+
Buy on Amazon.co.uk.
Summary from Bloomsbury:
Nick Geddes’s life is a mess. His sister’s boyfriend was killed in a school stabbing. His grandmother is decending into a world of her own, his mother has a ‘god-slot’ on local radio, and his father is drinking way too much. But that is nothing, because he is also crazy in love with Orla, the sister of the boy who has been killed, and she blames Nick!
How can Nick make sense of this chaos, and look after his sister, and hopefully get lucky with Orla?
Review:
Crossing The Line had me wanting to stay up way past my bedtime to finish it. I am a very routine-orientated person. I do not stay up past my bedtime but I could just not let this book go. I had to know how things worked out for Nick Geddes. This book gripped me with its switching between Nick the brutal thug and Nick the boy turning man trying to be a better person. At times the narrative was physically repulsive. Nick gets so much thrilling pleasure from inflicting pain on others that I actually despised him. At other times the narrative is so hilarious that I was laughing out loud. What an odd and frankly terrific mix!
Nick Geddes makes a conscious decision when he goes to secondary school that he is not going to be a victim. He will defend himself. He will fight back. He will be feared but he is not fearless. It fear of seeing himself as his father that motivates him to become a thug and the need for approval from a father figure that drives him to be so brutal. It isn't as if he is born that way although the beginning does present the reader with an interesting and subtle proposition. Or at least it did for me. Are we born evil? Do we have that potential from the earliest years to identify a threat to our status quo and choose to eliminate it? Or is it our actions that define who we are? I believe the latter but the question bubbles just under the surface in a way that isn't invasive. I guess it could be that I love books that touch on the nature of our humanity that makes me interpret these things and see these questions. I'd be interested to hear if the author intended the novel to explore this interesting nature versus nuture debate.
Nick goes through his school years being progressively more aggresive and violent. His humanity is anchored to his sister Allie who is an eccentric and insular girl. I don't want to give too much away as a key part of the novel is discovering just what did happen during the stabbing of Allie's boyfriend. The novel is divided into parts that tell the THEN and the NOW. So we see Nick in the THEN as the thug, a vile, repulisve creature verging on the bestial and we see him NOW as a recognisable lovable rogue. The sort of boy that most teachers have a soft spot for even though they have a fair idea of the type of things they get up to. At all times the narrative is his voice and it doesn't jar when you move forwards and backwards in time. It is pure brilliance!
My favourite thing about this book is the dialogue. It was so real. The scenes with McClusky were so funny and it was a perfect antidote to the shocking brutality of Nick's past. I loved the way Nick saw McClusky as as an unstoppable force, a man afraid of nothing and no one. I'm sure every school has one of these maverick teachers who can make even the toughest bully cry his or her cast-iron heart out. Their conversations were creative genius!
Overall, Crossing The Line is a gritty, shocking, funny and superbly crafted novel. The depth of Nick's character is a joy to read and although this book deals with the serious issue of bullying and knife crime, it also left me feeling uplifted. A great book that will hook you with its addictive voice and keep you turning the pages until the very end. Highly recommended!
A big thank you to Gillian for sending me this book to review. I feel so lucky to have been asked to review it because it isn't my usual read and not the sort of book that I would instinctively pick up. I'm loving this gritty realism business!
18 comments:
Wow, I'd never heard of this, but is sounds absolutely FANTASTIC! To be described as pure brilliance - wow!
It takes a lot for a book to keep me up after my bed time as well.
It sounds like an amazing book. Thanks for a wonderful review, and I'm glad you're enjoying the gritty realism!
This book is completely fantastic - so glad you enjoyed it.
I liked this one too - great review!
I'm getting more into the 'gritty realism' thing too, and the fact that there's an uplifting ending in there makes me think it's one I could enjoy. It sounds like you got a lot out of this one, which is always awesome. Thanks for the fab review. :)
Oh, and I forgot to let you know that I tagged you to build your own book boyfriend.
http://brizmusblogsbooks.blogspot.com/2010/02/build-your-own-book-boyfriend.html
Ignore the racy picture and build away! I hope you'll do it, as it was great fun!
Great review. I have not heard of this title before. Thanks for sharing.
Fantastic review :)
I like a good book with depth and fun dialogue. Great review for this wonderful book!
Amazing review, Becky! Can really tell how much you loved this book. I can't decide whether I want to read this or not. I don't think I'm a huge fan of violence novels; though I've read a few that I've really enjoyed, the genre itself doesn't appeal. We'll see. Thanks for the review!
Thanks so much Becky! I'm delighted you liked it and so pleased you liked Nick too, despite his nasty side!
What you say about the beginning of the book is interesting. I didn't set out to explore issues, so much as finding that issues came up in response to my characters and their lives.
But that scene at the beginning was one that happened simply because I was thinking about Nick, and wondering; and perhaps because of watching my twins (who were very young at the time) and how they related to each other. I don't believe for a moment that children are 'born evil', and I don't believe in original sin either; but I don't believe they're born saints either. There's an amorality in childhood and an absolute and natural self-centredness. I think Nick's sense of self-preservation was a very strong instinct, and for a while it overcame his better nature; he takes most of the responsibility for that by the time of the book, but I think you can also see from the beginning that he had a natural goodness in him too, and it simply got lost for a while.
But the writing was a strange process, as it always is. I didn't set out to descibe Nick's infancy and childhood; it just sort of... came to me. That boy, honestly. He was in my head and he just wouldn't shut up... :-)
And thanks again, Becky, for such a thoughtful and lovely review!
Becky- Great review!!! I need to put this one on my TBR pile. I like how you said you are getting into more gritty realistic books. I'm starting to be interested in more books like that, too. This sounds like a really compelling read. I wonder if it's available in the US?
And must say, how awesome is it to get the author's perspective!? WOW!
Okay, I'm so definitely putting this one on my TBR list. Awesome review, Becky!
Interesting book! I haven't heard of it but will need to check it out.
I just found your blog and love it! I'm a future YA librarian myself (in the US) and will definitely be following your blog!
Awesome review!
It sounds so interesting and harrowing and different...you definitely got me wanting to read this. And some of the whole "youth violence" themes mentioned reminded me of A CLOCKWORK ORANGE and I adore that book!
Wonderful review as always. I have added this one on my list.
It is indeed a great and gripping read--and I second your recommendation unreservedly. I also stayed up reading long past my bedtime! So glad I have discovered your blog (through Twitter) and will be following with interest.
Lucy Coats @ http://www/scribblecitycentral.blogspot.com
I don't know where to start by replying to these comments. Perhaps it is book week exhaustion.
To all the people thinking about reading Crossing the Line a little not-so-gentle push in that direction. It is such a gripping read. You will not be disppointed!
To Brizmus, I just can't get my head around building my perfect boyfriend. I already have the best husband a wife could wish for. One man in my life is enough. (But maybe I'll do a post all about hubby to make up for it!?)
Gillian, thank you so much for your amazing comment. I love the concept that there is an amorality in childhood. I definitely agree that it is clear from the beginning that Nick has good inside him and just gets lost along the way. Life does that to us all in different ways and at different times I guess. Thanks again for inviting me to review Crossing The Line. It was an absolute pleasure and a privilege.
Hey, Christina! I shall try and find out if the book is available in the US and let you know. I was delighted that Gillian took the time to comment too. I love authors. They're amazing people!
Melissa, it is always nice to meet a fellow children's librarian. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
Choco, I agree, Crossing The Line is wonderfully different to the books currently in trend at the mo. I love finding something unusual and powerful.
Shweta, you are too kind as always. You must stop inflating my ego! LOL
Lucy, hi! It always amazes me that authors follow my blog but I must say it is wonderful! Welcome to The Bookette!
To anyonw who is interested in my how my brain works, I feel like Fang answering all those questions on his blog LOL. I guess I'm still in the mutant bird kid zone!
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