Themes: pain, change, war, illness, standing up for beliefs

Bobby Burns lives in Keely Bay, Northeastern England, during the Cold War. He has just finished primary school and is just about to begin attending a new school, when he meets McNulty, a mad street performer who performs acts of extreme pain for entertainment. As he befriends McNulty and understands more of what a life of that kind of pain could be like, Bobby begins a new school where the teachers beat the students when they do something wrong. At the same time, Bobby’s father is also very sick and Bobby worries about and prays to save him. The novel is all about how Bobby comes to not only tolerate and understand his own pain, but also to stand up for what he believes in, even if it causes him pain. Almond weaves this story through the context of the Cold War very well, and the story’s current events nicely corroborate what happens in the fictional plot. Well written, but a little sporadic and confusing plotline, so recommended for teens 14-15 and up.