Boy A

Reviews / Votes

Creepy and involving... From the beginning, Trigell weaves a sense of drama and a disturbing feeling of inevitability * Independent * Trigell brilliantly depicts the pressures of living with a terrible secret... written with a naive clarity which evokes the unfamiliar wonders of the outside world * Guardian * A fine and moving debut novel... Harrowing at times, this compulsively readable novel is more optimistic than it sounds... a rare treat * Independent * Eerie parallels to the Bulger case abound in this modern day immorality tale about the attempted rehabilitation of a child implicated in murder... delivered with a horrific sense of foreboding * Arena * A shocker of a first novel... told with extraordinary restraint * New York Times * Grim reading to be sure, but you turn the final page with real sympathy for a child-killer - which is a frankly amazing achievement from young Mr Trigell * FHM * A challenging novel of atrocity and redemption... [A] fast-paced, thought provoking read, perhaps all the more significant for the questions it can't answer * Big Issue * A thought-provoking commentary on human nature... A gripping and disturbing read, Boy A is a carefully cultivated work that challenges readers while also being entirely gripping * Good Book Guide * Jonathan Trigell's striking debut, Boy A, at times cuts too close, but its that same in-your-face, relentless pursuit of personal salvation that makes it so intriguing. Without sugarcoating its darker side, Boy A lives up to its stark initial promise all the way through to its conclusion * Pages * Trigell masterfully builds sympathy for Jack * Entertainment Weekly * The book bristles with issues of personal responsibility, social justice and the reformative value of prison life. It would give reading groups much to ponder over * New Books Mag * The conclusion of this novel ensures it remains a genuine page-turner to the last * Big Issue in the North * [A] searing and heartfelt novel... Excellent * Buzz * A singularly powerful novel... A disturbing yet gripping story that explores both moral and practical questions, as well as the horrific negative repurcussions of media hysteria * Midwest Book Review * This debut by Trigell is ultra-stylish and just dark enough, dealing with a difficult subject without plastering on the rose-tint. Boy A deserves recognition as a formidable and engrossing read * BookMunch * Trying to readjust to a society he was never familiar with, the journey winds through the moral undertones of forgoing the bitterness of the past and the dexterity of self reconstruction * Pulp * This was a fascinating novel and really challenged my perceptions and prejudices * Northwich Mail * A compelling narrative, a beautifully structured piece of writing, and a thought-provoking novel of ideas. It's a wonderful debut * Manchester Unilife *