Sunday, 29 May 2016

Thicker Than Water by Anne Cassidy (Young Adult, Dyslexia friendly, 10E/10E)



15th May 2016, Barrington Stoke, 80 pages, Paperback, Review copy 

Content: crime, murder, guns, friendship

Summary from Barrington Stoke
George dreams of an easy life – a little record business and enough money to get by. But it’s hard when he has Lennie to look after too. Lennie’s got a way of getting into scrapes and he doesn’t know his own strength. So when they hole up with Billy and his dodgy business, they hope they can stay long enough to get some money saved. But wherever Lennie is, trouble is never very far away.

Information for Adults: This book has a dyslexia-friendly layout, typeface and paperstock so that even more readers can enjoy it. It has been edited to a reading age of 8. It features a removable ‘super-readable’ sticker.

Nayu's thoughts 
A chilling read based on the classic Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck which I've never read. I know it's frequently studied for English, but that's as far as my knowledge goes. I wanted to read it because I like Anne's work and adore Barrington Stoke books. 

It's not a fluffy read, that's for sure. It deals with tough issues, working in not entirely legal places. It's clear how much Geoege cares for Lenny, but I don't understand the ending. Surely they could have run away to a distant place and be themselves? I did understand why Lennie wouldn't be safe in prison, having watched a lot of criminal drama involving prisons, but for George to do what he did is awful and very wrong. There is no excuse for what he did. 

I did like Dolly, despite her putting up wih Boxer she was sweet, and was working towards her own dreams. The entire book is a grim read, but I do highly recommend it as it makes me think a lot about right and wrong. 

Find out more on Anne's website

Suggested read
You must check out Anne's other books which include an easier to understand (for me) than Thicker Than Water  read Finding Jennifer Jones by Anne Cassidy (Young Adult, 10E/10E)

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