Reviewed by Chris Longmuir
The author pulls no punches in her description of what Mikey
has to endure in his new life, and this includes some explicit sexual scenes,
ranging from rape to the more sensitive sexual attraction that develops between
Mikey and another rent boy, plus all the guilt and embarrassment this entails.
This is contrasted with the middle-class ordinary existence of his parents and
sister as they try to come to terms with Mikey’s disappearance.
Mikey’s abduction causes chaos within his family, and their
quiet lives are thrown into disarray. They also find it difficult to
understand, never mind come to terms with, the changes in Michael and his
rejection of them. Interwoven into the story is the developing attraction of
his sister, Kate, to the detective in charge of the investigation.
This book can be shocking in parts, but at no time is
compassion for Mikey lost, even after he accepts his situation, develops an
attachment to his captors, and no longer wants to go home. The author is expert
at handling Mikey’s conflicting emotions, as well as describing his dependence
on his captors and the heroin they supply to him. The reader is desperate for
Mikey to find his way back to being Michael, but is left with the feeling that
there is no way out for him, and that even if he does find his way home it
would be unrealistic to expect everything to be the same.
Bennett handles some very tough issues in this novel which
was placed on the long-list for the Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger
competition. It is a well-written, hard-hitting novel of a life that will be
unfamiliar to most readers.
A final word of caution, there are some explicit sexual
scenes involving male prostitution in this novel.
Chris Longmuir
No comments:
Post a Comment