Hello Darkness by Anthony McGowan

The Blurb On The Back:

”Stealthy, furtive, unhurried yet urgent … In a few seconds of efficient butchery, the chickens are dead and dismembered.”

Someone is on a killing spree – slaughtering the school pets with a cold-blooded savagery. The number-one suspect is Johnny Middleton.

Johnny’s had problems in the past, but they’re behind him now. So what if he still sees the world a little differently? He’s not crazy and he’s not a killer.

And he’s going to prove it.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Anthony McGowan’s unique YA novel is like BRICK meets CHINATOWN and BUGSY MALONE with a hint of NAKED LUNCH and a sense of humour. It’s a funny, distinctive noir with an unreliable narrator and a bizarre take on the different school factions and comes complete the obligatory femme fatale. The only thing is I can’t decide is whether I loved or hated the ending. On one level, it’s completely in keeping with the rest of the novel, yet at the same time it’s completely infuriating. Don’t let that put you off though because this is an utterly distinctive, engaging book that’s unlike anything else on the YA bookshelves. For that reason alone, it’s well worth a couple of hours of your time.

Thanks to Walker Books for the free copy of this book.