Rating: **** 4 stars

Narinder Dhami,
Bang, Bang, You're Dead!
Corgi, 2009.

Ages 10-14

This clever novel describes six suspenseful hours in the life of Mia, a shy adolescent who is bullied at school and neglected at home by a manic-depressive mum who refuses to take her medicine. Mia’s twin brother Jamie is also on the point of erupting, and when she hears that a gunman has entered her school she is convinced that it is him. In a desperate attempt to get to Jamie before armed police intervene, Mia hides from her teachers who are busy evacuating all other pupils and tries to deal with the hostage situation on her own. But nothing is quite what it seems, and two major surprises towards the end come as a considerable shock. Slickly written, though with too many short, disconnected sentences – a technique that should only be used very sparingly if it is to keep its immediate effect – this story gets across the agonies of living with an unstable parent without support extremely well. Easy to read and continually gripping, this is a fine contribution from an already prolific author.

Nick Tucker