133,022
edits
Changes
After the Snow by SD Crockett (view source)
Revision as of 14:37, 20 February 2012
, 14:37, 20 February 2012no edit summary
This book has been cleverly written. Some of the twists are well-heralded but the main one surprised me, turning the whole story on its head and setting it off in a different direction. The characters are all sketchily drawn but this story is told by a 15 year old teenager fighting for survival. As every mother of sons knows (and SD Crockett is included in this group), even when not fighting for survival, lads of this age aren't known for describing (or noticing) nuances of personality or emotion. Willo's voice is therefore filled with authenticity.
S D Crockett's style is very similar to[[:Category:John Boyne|John Boyne's]]. Like Boyne's [[The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne|The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas]], ''After the Snow'' has a lot for the younger reader whilst presenting the adult with a higher level of understanding. In this case, reading it as an adult transforms the book into an eerily prophetic tale. Whilst we're on the subject of age...
The age range that ''After the Snow'' is recommended for is 12-years-and-upwards. The relatively easy language and the fact that Macmillan uses their children's publishing arm to release the book may encourage some to offer it to younger readers. If this idea tempts you, it may be useful to note that there is one use of the 'f' word and that you may need to explain the concept of prostitution to your young reader. (There are no graphic sex scenes, but prostitution is mentioned in connection with a character and understanding it is important to the plot at one stage.)