Blog Tour: Review + Competition (International) Panther by David Owen (Young Adult, 10/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

7th May 2015, Corsair, 240 pages, Paperback, Review copy 

Content: teen angst, self-harm, suicide risk,

Summary from David's website

Panther tells the story of Derrick, whose family is being torn apart by his sister’s depression and her recent suicide attempt. When rumours start to circulate that a panther is roaming wild in his south London suburb, Derrick decides to try and capture it. Surely if he can just find a way to tame the panther, he’ll be able to put his life back together too?

Nayu's thoughts 

A book has to really grab my interest for me to read it if it has a male lead, and Panther did just that. I'm a huge fan of cats of all sizes, and the panther in Derrick's life provided me with lots of thrills and chills. Although I felt sorry for his family situation – his sister's mental instability was a huge strain on him, at times I felt he was a bit too weird. The obsession with the panther wasn't normal. I mean, what was he thinking, a teen with no experience of big cat taming trying to hunt down a savage beast? Crazy! But that's what made me want to read this book, so crazy can't be all bad.

As sad as mental illness is, it's a fact of life and I think it's important that Panther shows what it's like for other siblings. How Derrick has to walk on egg shells for fear of setting off his sister. How he has to do things he doesn't want just to keep the peace. How he loses a few friends because they don't know how to treat him when he goes a bit weird. Having said that, he does have friends rally round at the end which both surprised and pleased me. Sometimes people make mistakes, but as long as they are there when it counts that's what matters. I don't think I'll reread Panther, not even if it had been a female main character because it's an intense read, one which I won't forget, especially not the end. 

Find out more on David's website.  

Competition Time!

This can be yours!

Since this is such a powerful read it's with great pleasure that I can announce one of you can win a copy of Panther! Simply fill in this form to enter, it doesn't matter where you live! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway