McGowan, Anthony. The Fall.

McGowan, Anthony.  The Fall.  Stoke Books (Lerner)    63p   $22.60      978-1-78112-095-8 2012  jr/sr   VG        Realistic Fiction

In this dark and gritty story geared for older readers who lack confidence in their abilities, when Mog’s coolest friend allows a decidedly uncool boy to hang out with their gang, Mog feels that his position in the group is threatened and he decides to take drastic action to secure his supremacy.  This dark reminiscence of a former British schoolboy bears a resemblance to Stephen King’s The Body, from the event prompting the reminiscence to the composition of the narrator’s group of school chums and their marginally-legal extracurricular activities, although it is clear that all of the kids in this story are from the wrong side of the tracks.  The appeal of McGowan’s work is not restricted to a male readership, even though all the main characters are male, because the underlying themes of the text are actually universal.  The story itself speaks poignantly of the insecurities of being part of a group to which someone new is occasionally introduced, thereby threatening the established hierarchy.  The casual cruelty of the youth that is described in this book may not sit well with adults, but the depth of the horror Mog feels upon his best friend’s acceptance of a terminally lame kid into their group is one most teens will relate to, as well as the desperate need to secure one’s position against unexpected opposition, no matter what, and most adults will remember that feeling, too.  The book is skillfully written, so that the content will not seem childish to reluctant readers in junior and senior high school, even though the story is told in brief chapters and the layout is arranged to make the text more accessible to readers with visual learning difficulties.

Coming-of-age stories–Fiction, Friendship–Fiction, Jealousy-Fiction

                                                          --Bethany Geleskie