Tag: Luke Palmer

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Play by Luke Palmer: Review

Male teenage relationships are at the forefront of this contemporary coming-of-age story. Unlike a lot of multiple narrative novels, the characters in Play read as genuine and relatable with distinct voices and personalities. Some of the characters even have their own fonts to further distinguish their personalities.

This is by no means a kid’s book, even though the title might suggest otherwise. Rather, it is a mature and captivating depiction of the peer and parental pressures young adults, and especially young men, face.

This book isn’t the first to feature a cast of disenfranchised youths trying to find their place in the world and it won’t be the last, but the trying scenarios the boys face in this book never feel manufactured for the sake of teaching a lesson. Each boy’s circumstance feels authentic; it could easily have been you or I who got involved with the wrong crowd or who grew up neglected.

Play is about how each of us is dealt a different hand and it is only through dealing with our unique set of adversities that we grow as young adults. Themes such as drug dependency, alcohol abuse and learning to accept your sexuality are dealt with openly and honestly. I’m sure many young readers will be able to identify and connect with the themes highlighted in this superbly written book.

Mark Jackson

Play
Luke Palmer
Firefly Press, 2023
Paperback, £8.99
ISBN 9781915444318

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Review: Grow by Luke Palmer

Grow
Luke Palmer
Firefly Press, July 2021
Paperback, £7.99
ISBN 9781913102395

It is impressive to read how well Luke Palmer has introduced the grieving process in Grow. The protagonist really tackles the process of grief, and the idea that there is no such thing as as a set length of time when it comes to mourning the loss of someone. This book isn’t happy-go-lucky sweet. It’s dark and gripping until the final pages and it is so worth it.

Grow looks at the bereavement of a teenage boy who lost his father during a bomb attack on a train. It has been two years and Josh certainly has not dealt with the loss in a healthy way. Things get unhealthier when he finds himself in a group of violent white supremacists, who stir hatred towards asylum seekers and blame the so-called “them” for everything they perceive as wrong with society.

The most enjoyable part of the reading process might be the fact that you constantly want to close your eyes and stop reading. Palmer is great at visualising everything with very few words which makes it even more delicious reading.

While it is a sad and dark story, there is still a love story hidden within. You could consider it a love story between mother and son, and a love story between two best friends who need to reunite. It is a story about moving on, and the last few steps one needs to take before moving on from the death of their father. Grow is perfect for anyone who enjoys thrillers and doesn’t get squeamish when reading about a bit of blood.

Anet Rumberg