A tragic story unfolds as you read this book, one I just couldn’t put down. The story is told by Skunk Cunningham an 11 year old girl who has a loving father, an absent mother and a brother too interested in playing his Xbox to notice she is the victim of bullying. Their neighbours are the neighbours from hell and are the cause of the harrowing events that unfold in their street. The five Oswald girls and Bob their thug of a father reign terror over those living nearby. The older sisters drink, take drugs and use their sex appeal to lure boys, in this instance Rick Buckley also from their street has a disastrous first sexual encounter with Saskia and she cannot keep her mouth shut. Rick suffers greatly from this event and his story is central to the events as they unfold. Saskia’s younger sister Susan uses this information to accuse Rick of a crime he never committed. Skunk’s innocence and search for truth is in direct opposition to Bob Oswald and his daughters.
The horrendous ongoing bullying and intimidation tactics used by the Oswalds is quite confronting, perhaps events would have been different if Skunk felt she could tell someone and remain alive. Mr Jefferies her teacher was aware of what the Oswald girls and their father were capable of and the intimidation goes all the way up to the principal. When you think things couldn’t unravel any further keep reading, it becomes quite a dark read and emotionally taxing. The author pays homage to the novel ‘To kill a mockingbird’ using similar but different names, characters and events throughout this novel.
I couldn’t put it down. Suitable for year 10+
(* * * *) B.B.
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