I was really excited to start this book and share it with my children. They are very musical so I thought that the main theme would really interest them.
Unfortunately, I found the main character really difficult to like. I felt very sorry for him growing up in challenging circumstances and his bravado / naïveté makes you feel like you should want to protect and defend him. So much seems to go against him. However alongside that is a narrative of kindness, support and protection from his school which he seems to either refuse, or genuinely not see the need for. Each time he refuses it makes one feel more frustrated.
It does throw some light on the decisions children and young people make at school and the complex social situation children are navigating. But the continued insistence to not see the situation as several other characters were painting it made me find the main character just too frustrating to feel positive about.
Unfortunately, I found the main character really difficult to like. I felt very sorry for him growing up in challenging circumstances and his bravado / naïveté makes you feel like you should want to protect and defend him. So much seems to go against him. However alongside that is a narrative of kindness, support and protection from his school which he seems to either refuse, or genuinely not see the need for. Each time he refuses it makes one feel more frustrated.
It does throw some light on the decisions children and young people make at school and the complex social situation children are navigating. But the continued insistence to not see the situation as several other characters were painting it made me find the main character just too frustrating to feel positive about.