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Jump to navigationJump to searchThe Bombs That Brought Us Together by Brian Conaghan (view source)
Revision as of 19:44, 3 November 2016
, 19:44, 3 November 2016no edit summary
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Charlie is a fabulous central character. He's sensible and honest and kindly and courageous and, well, confused a lot of the time. But you watch him in his sterling efforts to do the right thing and you root for him with all your heart. Because it's not easy to avoid getting caught up in trouble. If you have no food, why shouldn't you steal some? If soldiers beat you up, why shouldn't you join a resistance, even if the resistance is corrupted itself? And if people beat up your friend, should you really pretend it didn't happen?
Weighty themes indeed. But ''The Bombs That Brought Us Together'' isn't at all depressing or heavy to read. Humanity and humour thread through the challenging storyline from the first page to the very last. Charlie's crush on the gorgeous Erin F is the same crush boys in altogether happier places to live have for their own gorgeous girls and his attempts to attract her are hilariously inept. Pav's linguistic bungles made me laugh as did the way the two boys ended most conversations with a brotherly ''fook off''. They do that outside of conflict zones, too!
It's a triumph of a read. And an original one, too. We loved it.
If ''The Bombs That Brought Us Together'' appeals, you might also enjoy [[How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff]] which also deals with a war breaking out around young people. There's also [[After Tomorrow by Gillian Cross]], a brilliant role-reversal story in which a young British boy finds himself and unwanted and resented refugee in France.
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