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Gr 9-Up In the gritty setting of postwar London, young Mick makes his way through a life of poverty and neglect. Through a first-person narration, the book brilliantly captures a child's voice and point of view, subtly changing as the boy matures into an adolescent. Mick's quest is to find out what happened to his baby sister, of whom he only has vague, disturbing memories. Afraid to ask family mem...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

Willis's shocking first sentence—"I don't know if I've killed my dad or not"—establishes Mick's horrific circumstances; Willis's novel (originally published in England as The Hard Man of the Swings) then traces the trajectory that has brought Mick to this moment. Mick is seasoned in adversity; he feels like he's "been put on this earth to be given a good hiding." His mother, father, stepfather,...Log In or Sign Up to Read More