THE WRECKER
by David Skinner
A mind-bender-cum-novel, set against the bleak landscapes of schoolyard bullying. Theo is tormented by a vicious boy, Jeffrey, and wants revenge. He doesn't just want to kill him or set him up, he wants to wreck himdestroy his mind and soul. Unfortunately for Jeffrey, Theo has a talent for creating devices, a talent that goes beyond genius, beyond artistry: It approaches the metaphysical. When he enlists new kid Michael as his ally, Michael is at once intrigued and terrified. Theo's new device, a wrecker, turns out to be more than either of them had imagined. Skinner's You Must Kiss a Whale (1992), was, like this one, weird. His characters and situations are once again, bizarrely familiar, and his style is unique and compellingly odd. Michael is realistically drawn. He is introspective, struggling with self- doubt, a nice kid; Theo, on the other hand, stepped out of a Dali painting. Michael is mesmerized, wants to know and understand Theo better, yet never does. The descriptions of Theo's method of working and of the machines themselves, are strange and haunting; the outcome immensely satisfying and will linger in the mind. Skinner stretches the boundaries of children's fiction with an unforgettable story. (Fiction. 12+)