Thursday 7 August 2008

My Thoughts: The Garbage King by Elizabeth Laird


After the mamouth task of getting Gone with the Wind finished I fancied something dead easy, that I would finish quickly and I would love. I picked this book up for just 10p in the library sale this week and just assumed I would love it because of the topic.

The book is about 2 little boys, whose lives would never had crossed if they had both not run away. Dani, comes from a rich family, his mother dotes on him, but his father is very demanding and Dani just can't live up to his fathers expectations. When Dani's mother travels to England for an operation Dani decides he can't face the punishment his father has given him so he decides to runaway. Having always been rich just one afternoon on the streets has him quacking in his boots.

Mamo, has grown up living in a shack, his mum bringing home just enough money to get by each week. She suddenly dies, and an 'uncle' appears telling Mamo he has a job for him to do. This 'uncle' is really someone who sells children. Faor a while Mamo lives in the coutryside with his new violent employer until he can face no more. He runs back to the city.

On his first night in the city he spends the night curled up next to Dani. While Mamo clearly understands what he needs to do to live on the street, Dani doesn't have a clue. To help them survive they join a gang, almost a little family, where they beg and work to get money to feed the group.

Now, I was expecting this to be one of those heart wrenching novels, I was expecting tears streaming down my face but the story just didn't grab me. The situation seemed to forced and the characters not fully formed. However, this book got 4 and a half stars on Amazon so it may just be me.

Challenge:

YA Challenge Book 6 of 12

1 comment:

Eva said...

Too bad the characters weren't better formed, because the idea sounds interesting!