It was the opening line that made me pick this book up: 'I don't know who my father is, and to tell you the truth I don't give a shit.' Merton proceeds to detail his childhood and adolesence at the hands of a neglectful mother and a weak education system. Despite the hurdles he must overcome, he has a passion to read and learn, and a will to survive that sees him become consigliere to school-bully-turned-gang-leader Savage.
Shaw gives Merton a voice that feels authentic - gritty yet optimistic, the protagonist knows that there is a difference between right and wrong, knows a lot about history and facts, but he struggles to connect with people and has trouble making the best choices for himself. Occasionally Merton comes across as uncaring and irresponsible, casually sleeping with his mum's friend's daughter, taking drugs and helping Savage's gang to make money by scaring the community. It is easy to excuse Merton's behaviour through his abusive upbringing and neglect by authorities, but he is offered help by teachers, and he has a good streak running through him - circumstances and the people around him seem to conspire to beat him down. The portrait Shaw paints of contemporary disenfranchised, inner city youths is bleak and, as recent riots proved, depressingly close to the bone. The schools are ineffective at controlling argumentative, unparented children, letting bullies run riot, even raping a teacher and letting the perpetrators get away with it. Throughout the book though there is hope - Merton's secret trove of books is his sanctuary and through his reading he tries to apply knowledge to the world around him. Through community service Merton comes into contact with Gibbon, a private tutor who encourages the young man to apply to Cambridge. The reader has already been willing Merton to succeed and grow out of his angry box, and the pressure increases, both on the character to not mess up his opportunity and on the reader to expect a happy ending - it is never certain that one will appear.
briefly...
An effective, realistic narrative of what it is like to exist on the bottom rung of the social and educational ladder in modern Britain, with a character you can believe in. If Merton can succeed you can begin to think there may be hope for others too.
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