Dead Kid Songs
Toby Litt
Quite unpleasant. The title is a translation of a grim Mahler
song cycle. It's about four boys aged 11-13 who are obsessed with
war. Becomes serious and nasty as it goes on and the tension and
suspense is maintained right up to the end. Told entirely from
the point of view of the children.
Bob 29/9/02
A very dark tale about four boys, probably 12 to 13-ish, in a fictional location near us (Bob differed - he suggested Dorset), set in the 1970s, who are obsessively worried about the next war and the Russians arriving. The boys are "Gang", they wear combat clothes and patrol the village in preparation for defending it against the Russians. Gang has a leader and second in command and two ordinary ranks.The book is narrated from the various boys' points of view and the first few chapters are narrated as if from within Gang but not from any one boy's viewpoint. Andrew didn't like this style. As the book proceeds Gang gets very out-of-control, and the ending is rather over-complicated.
The book is gruesome and not for the faint-hearted but it is very gripping and the reader wants to know what's going to happen next. Recommended.
Doreen suggested that the book sounded like a "boys' book" and the answers were equivocal (boys' and girls', or rather mens' and womens' books, is a bit of a recurring theme at out meetings).
Andrew 1/12/02
A very disturbing story, frighteningly plausible with echoes of
Lord of the Flies. Extraordinary and very good.
Seán 14/9/03
By the same author
The frames have
gone all funny - click to make it good.