3 out of 4 stars
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A Bloody Book is a short novel written by Chris Bowen, published in 2016 and one I would give 3 out of 4 stars. The story is narrated through the eyes of Maxx, a young disadvantaged boy giving us a glimpse into his life and the hardships that come with it. Maxx is presented as a young boy who has stopped caring about life, but he wasn’t always like this. He began Kindergarten eager to learn with an astonishing amount of hope. However, this soon changed, and Maxx ended up in Reading Hell, as named by its members, a class for the ‘stupid kids’ who no longer care.
Through this story, Maxx takes us on an emotional journey, up to the heart wrenching moment where he realises he no longer cares. Whilst reading this book, I have felt every emotion – I have laughed, cried and been angry (sometimes all at the same time). Even though I have been as fortunate to have not experienced Maxx’s hardships to that extent, Bowen has written the book in such a way that I can relate to Maxx and feel his emotions as if they were my own. The point at which Maxx stopped caring sent chills through my body and led to an overwhelming feeling of sadness as I came to the realisation that the world is a place full of unknown horrors that young children should not have to endure, yet they do.
Not only did Bowen give important messages through the character of Maxx, he also did this through the character of Mr Foxx. Through him, Bowen highlighted the importance of education and using it to break the toxic cycle of living in a disadvantaged household, whether it is full of poverty, violence or drug usage. The idea that knowledge is power. This message is something I stand by, increasing my enjoyment of this book.
Although I did enjoy the book, there were some aspects of it that were not entirely believable, such as some of the twists towards the ends. Whether this was due to the events that happened, or just the fact that it felt a little but rushed and lacked some detail. Regardless of what it was, it felt like something was missing, leading to my rating of only 3 stars.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would recommend it to others. It was well edited and easy to read, whilst at the same time, thought provoking, taking the reader on an emotional journey, teaching them about the darker parts of life. I would definitely recommend this book, especially for people who want to be thrilled, laugh and be heartbroken, all at the same time. It can be a book for young adults and even the elderly. It appeals to all ages, other than children, and everybody can relate to at least one moment in the novel.
I started for the story. I cared for the characters. I stayed for the twist.
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A Bloody Book
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