September 2010, Frances Lincoln
368 pages, Paperback
Review copy
Children's, 12+
Oodles of tension and action scenes, addresses issues of knife crime, gangs and self-harm, some teen romance, fragmented families, tissues needed,
Summary from Frances Lincoln
Ruthless killers are hunting Ty so the police move him and his mum to a quiet seaside town. But a horrific attack and a bullet meant for Ty prove that he’s not safe.
On the road again, Ty’s in hiding with complete strangers . . . who seem to know a lot about him. Meanwhile he’s desperate to see his girlfriend Claire, and terrified that she may betray him. Ty can’t trust his own judgement and he’s making dangerous decisions that could deliver him straight to the gangsters.
Nayuleska's thoughts
Almost True starts from When I Was Joe ended. Ty still hasn't had the trial yet. He still isn't telling all of the truth to the police, to his friends, to anyone. He doesn't lie. He just doesn't spill all the beans. He has good reasons for it - reasons he can justify. However, As the trial goes on, the stakes get higher. More people in his life are injured. Not necessarily physically, the hurt can be mental too. I think in this book Ty buckles under the stress.
The decisions he makes about situations are not thought through properly. He reacts first, thinks later. This has repercussions which improve him as a character. By making mistakes he learns what to do in the future. When I sat down and thought about it, he had a lot going on. All aspects of his life are affected: his family life in a big way (not all to do with the trial), his friends (not all is well with Claire), his emotions (they are all over the place).
There are times when I want someone to give him a hug. He does get them at the crucial moments. His emotions get thrown out in the open. I think this is a good release for him, because he does bottle things up which isn't good for his body. Amongst all the danger and teen angst, a few friendships are formed with unlikely people, which give Ty something stable in his crazy life.
The decisions he makes about situations are not thought through properly. He reacts first, thinks later. This has repercussions which improve him as a character. By making mistakes he learns what to do in the future. When I sat down and thought about it, he had a lot going on. All aspects of his life are affected: his family life in a big way (not all to do with the trial), his friends (not all is well with Claire), his emotions (they are all over the place).
There are times when I want someone to give him a hug. He does get them at the crucial moments. His emotions get thrown out in the open. I think this is a good release for him, because he does bottle things up which isn't good for his body. Amongst all the danger and teen angst, a few friendships are formed with unlikely people, which give Ty something stable in his crazy life.
Final conclusion
Another thrilling installment in Ty's life - possibly the one where he grows up the most.
Make sure you check out the first book, When I Was Joe
Keren can be found on her blog.
No comments:
Post a Comment