Especially because I adore the two main female characters in this book so much, Tish and Marlon’s mother. Honestly I’d be quite happy do go and push this book at so many people with the above (and I’m still mad at myself for taking so long to read Orangeboy). It’s an excellent mystery, with drama and a wonderful set of relationships for the reader to explore, both friendships and the family dynamics. Foremost I want to say this: ‘Orangeboy is gripping, intriguing and emotional. Orangeboy has become a book that I’ve found complex to review. Young adult literature needs these kinds of stories, too - urban, 'street', with young male protagonists - but it just wasn't a storyline which appealed to me as a reader. Strong points include characterisation - the primary characters are fleshed out with plenty of detail - and realistic dialogue. The Evening Standard reports regularly on why so many young boys in London are carrying knives these days, and this is both the mentality and the setting of this book. The book is set in contemporary London, and I felt confidence that the author has a pretty good insight into the world she is describing. Talk to your mother! Talk to the police! Good grief.
I wanted to shake Marlon, constantly, for thinking he could sort out things he had no business dealing with. This book kicked off my mom alert to a crazy degree. Drugs, gangs, a mysterious death - and suddenly Marlon, a good kid, is drawn into some mysterious vendetta. Their first rendezvous - at a local fair - goes horribly wrong. As his feisty best friend Tish says, he should have been suspicious from the start, but he wasn't really thinking with his head. Marlon has been pursued by Sonya, a beautiful girl who he knows is way out of his league.
Told from the first person point-of-view of Marlon, a 16 year old boy who lives in Hackney, the book kicks off immediately with drama.
Having said all that: it was the YA Book Prize winner for 2017, and I respect that I was probably just not the right reader for this book. Also, it felt overlong - and the narrative jumped and 'jived' (lots of street lingo) in a way that meant I couldn't just skim it. I had to drag myself through it, and even the suspenseful elements didn't drive me through the plot. It had its strong points, and it covers subject matter which is probably of interest to many teens, but I didn't enjoy reading it at all. I don't know how to evaluate this book fairly.
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