La vera storia del mostro Billy Dean

another bleak offering from candlewick, god bless 'em. to begin - this book is written in the voice of billy dean, a boy who spent the first thirteen years of his life secreted away in the back room of an apartment in a war-torn world, with only three people knowing of his existence: his mother, his Leggi tutto

A strange story about a boy who grows up in a room by himself. Through his extreme isolation, he discovers he has powers beyond that of a normal boy. There is a mystery surrounding his parentage and also about the world outside the only room he has ever known. The boy's name is Billy Dean and this i Leggi tutto

Did not finish. Reading this book is making me stupider and giving me a headache. I can't stand the spelling. I know it's deliberate, but that doesn't make it any better.

Hmm, this book was a bit of a puzzle for me. I feel like I was supposed to glean some deeper meaning and understanding of...something. But I didn't. That may be because I am quite a simple soul and anything beyond the actual story is lost on me. I don't like dissecting stories, it kind of sucks all

David Almond is one of the children’s writers whose works win prizes in children’s literature. And ‘The True Tale of The monster Billy Dean isn’t an exception. This time he has written a story not only for children, but also for adults. It’s a gripping, mysterious and emotional story full of unanswe Leggi tutto

I love David Almond's Young Adult novels, so I was keen to see what he turned out for adults, and whether it would have the same hallmarks or go off in completely new territory. Having read the book, I'm not sure it is a book especially for adults at all. It still feels YA to me because I think teen Leggi tutto

Billy Dean is born in the town of Blinkbonny, just outside Alnwick, the day the bombs explode razing his town and plunging his country into war. He grows up knowing only the walls of the tiny flat where he and his mother live, and the face of his father who is an occasional visitor, preaching hellfi Leggi tutto

What a strange book — worth the difficulty! "My final writing is a simple hope in simple words in a simple place. Let the wars be done. Let us continue. Let my child grow. I wave to him. I call his name. “John!” He turns and waves to me. He calls me. I put down the paper the pencil and the knife. I Leggi tutto