Smashed
Andy Robb
UCLan Publishing, 2021
Paperback, £7.99
ISBN 9781912979400
Smashed is a snapshot of the life of Jamie, who turns 16 as we join his story. He has a best friend, Adil and a girlfriend, Nadia. He also has a dark secret he is keeping from them, and from the reader at first. At home, things are not going well. From the first pages, Jamie’s father looms large as we are told that “something” happened, with references to “The Night Everything Gone Weird”. Jamie deals with this by pushing those closest to him away. He sees it as his duty, the “Weight of Manhood”, to be there for his mother and his younger sister Bex. However, Jamie continues to be overwhelmed and put in the undesirable position of mediator between his parents. This leads him to make some poor
decisions.
The narration brings us right inside Jamie’s head and it’s a frantic place to be at times. He is trying his best to be a responsible older brother and son, but when those responsibilities become too much, he in turn becomes reliant on negative influences to try to ease the pressure.
My heart broke for Jamie as he seemed to be a decent teenager with such a weight on him. This is a tense read at times. Readers should be aware that there are discussions of physical abuse as well as scenes of alcohol abuse.
Derek Carney
inventive and immersive.
premise, and it kept me entertained with its excellent and teen-friendly depictions of the climate crisis, racism, and LGBT+ love. The protagonists get what they need by the end of the book, but not necessarily what they want. The story emphasises that this is okay. While aimed at readers aged twelve and up, this novel is a mesmerising science-fiction story perfect for children, teens and adults alike who like to step into a new world.
audience between ages 12-14 especially enjoying it. To me, it was evident that the characters portrayed classic stereotypes: the nerd, the prankster, the popular girl and the troublemaker. The most entertaining character was the prankster Jason, Ashley’s childhood friend. A key characteristic to this book is the references to Taylor Swift songs as they complement moments that happen to Ashley and describe her feelings. This adds a soundtrack to the book which I thought was a nice addition. I believe this book would be an amazing introduction for young readers into contemporary YA!
feels written rather than said. Set at a summer camp for eight- to ten-year-olds, Camp Pine Lake provides the perfect mix of a sunny home-away-from-home and a stifling settlement of strangers.
There is a lot of story within this novella, with a number of threads and mysteries to unravel that on occasion detract from the pacing and the development of some of the character relationships. In terms of the supporting cast, Mya’s flatmate Lynne is vibrant and jumps off the page, and Mya’s sister Zhara is aloof and intriguing enough that I was excited whenever she reappeared. Throughout the book, Mya’s determination and need to survive ring true.
Consequently, the people on this small island speak English, French, and Mauritian Creole, and this blend of cultures and languages across a troubled history is bound to result in fertile ground for creativity. However, this multitude of languages is not always an advantage; Ananda Devi’s characters struggle to express themselves fully with all of these borrowed languages, phrases and multicultural influences. On several occasions they say that there is “no escape” from the limitations placed on them by their upbringing in their neighbourhood — apart from turning to violence and crime which further traps them in the cyclical “nasty history” of their country. They are constrained by the cultural memory of violence and slavery, and can barely imagine a life outside of this extistence. Only fiction and stories from other places provide a glimpse of a world where “possibilities shimmer”, just as this novel helps readers to understand the lives of these disenfranchised youths.
