quippe | Entries tagged with alex wheatle

The Blurb On The Back:

Welcome to Crongton where your loyalties and wits will be tested …

Jonah’s the fastest sprinter in the ends. But that won’t help his dad find a new job, or stop his parents arguing over how to pay their never-ending bills.

Getting kidnapped by Manjaro, the most notorious warlord in South Crong, wasn’t the obvious solution to all his problems. But Manjaro likes games. And his latest one comes with a map and the promise of a big bag of cash at the end. Cash Jonah’s family could really use …

Jonah and his friends are up for the quest, but will the map lead them to treasure, or into more trouble instead?

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The 5th in Alex Wheatle’s YA CRONGTON SEQUENCE is a pacy affair whose portrayal of life on a council estate gives a feel of community and the ambition of its adolescents without downplaying the issues with living there. Wheatle’s got a great ear for dialogue (although I fear that it may date it more quickly than it deserves) and the rapport between Jonah and his friends rings very true such that I need to read the other books in this series.

IN THE ENDS was released in the United Kingdom on 17th August 2023. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Round these ends, it’s hard to hold on to your dreams.

Life’s a constant hustle for Mo. Her mum’s boyfriend Lloyd is just another man who likes to beat down women; the South Crong streets are fraught with hazards and nasty G’s; and when it comes to matters of the heart … she’s still hung up on Sam. No wonder she’s vexed so much of the time.

Thank God her sisters, Elaine and Naomi, are on her side.

But when badness goes down and a life is let handing in the balance, Mo has to face her hot urge for revenge … and she might end up losing more than she wins.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The third in Alex Wheatle’s YA CRONGTON SEQUENCE has a wonderful narrative voice that reads authentically and does a great job of portraying female teenage friendship and the chaotic and difficult life on an estate. I was less convinced by some of Mo’s decisions in the final quarter of the book, mainly because I needed a bit more consideration of her thinking, but it’s still a good read and I will definitely check out the rest of the Sequence.