Skippy - otherwise known as Daniel Juster - dies in the first chapter of Skippy Dies by Paul Murray which I read in audio. This unusual and a little uneven book is then split into the events leading up to the sad demise of our eponymous hero (in a doughnut emporium), and then the effects that his death has on those who knew him. I realise this doesn't sound like there are many laughs to be had, but you would be wrong. Skippy is a fourteen year old border at a prestigious boys school in Ireland. This means that there are many forays into what fourteen year old boys think about, talk about and do. There are bullies, geeks, sporty types and those who think they are purely here on earth to love the ladies. All of this means that there are some fantastic exchanges between groups of boys who talk to each other as boys probably do when no adults are listening. Shockingly un-PC at times, you do, nevertheless feel sympathy for Skippy who is struggling to come to terms with his mother's illness as well as falling for a girl from the neighbouring school who the resident bully has dibs on! We also focus on several of the teachers who are just as messed up and struggling to get through life as their students. Where the book falls down for me is the badly drawn female characters and the lazy introduction of child abuse. Oh, a school in Ireland where there are priests on the staff ... then that must mean ... you know what! Come on, did you really have to go there Mr Murray, was there nothing else you could think of to put into the drama? This aspect disappointed me immensely and, I felt, does a disservice to the intelligence of the reader. There were, however, some moments of great depth and insight into the human psyche too, and I longed for more of those. Particularly good is the single-minded genius Ruprecht, who tries to explain string theory to his friends who are more interested in the more corporeal aspects of our universe. So, good in parts and possibly an eye opener for anyone whose never had to deal with teenage boys! I would be cautious as to who to recommend this book to because of the subject matter.
My STAR rating: THREE.
The stats: 672 pages (print); £7.99 (Audible subscription); also available in print, Ebook,
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