kba76's review
3.0
When Maurice sets off on his school trip to view the troll settlement, he could not have predicted what would happen. Fed up with their treatment and being regarded as second-class citizens, the trolls want change. They kidnap Maurice, hoping those in charge will want to save the human boy, even if it means giving in to the trolls' demands. Only things don't quite go to plan. So begins a rather unusual journey.
Having become so accustomed to seeing the word troll in relation to Internet use, it came as something of a shock to realise this was actually a book about trolls. The whole book seemed to be attempting to comment on modern society's need to categorise people, the injustices meted out by those in power and a call to consider how we treat those in difficult circumstances.
While I found Maurice really annoying initially, once he escapes with Wretch he shows his strength of character. There were some amusing scenes between the various characters and although the Governor bordered on pantomime villain caricature, he was vital to illustrate the need for change.
All in all, a rather puzzling read. For me, I don't feel it will be particularly memorable.
Having become so accustomed to seeing the word troll in relation to Internet use, it came as something of a shock to realise this was actually a book about trolls. The whole book seemed to be attempting to comment on modern society's need to categorise people, the injustices meted out by those in power and a call to consider how we treat those in difficult circumstances.
While I found Maurice really annoying initially, once he escapes with Wretch he shows his strength of character. There were some amusing scenes between the various characters and although the Governor bordered on pantomime villain caricature, he was vital to illustrate the need for change.
All in all, a rather puzzling read. For me, I don't feel it will be particularly memorable.
corack252's review
4.0
I had little idea what to expect of this story going in, based on the blurb. It would have helped if I had checked the keywords given on the back: "Trolls"; "Black Comedy"; "Sinkholes"; "Friendship." A pretty good summation in the end.
Trolls in this tale are a subterranean race, indistinguishable from humans. To give their offspring a better chance at life, trolls switch out human babies with that of their own, the switch only becoming apparent once puberty hits, and their troublesome personas and disregard for authority take hold. Often, they are cast aside by their unwitting adoptive families. To protect the general public, they are placed inside settlements, districts that are cordoned off from society. Supposedly they are looked after when inside. In truth, the place is a squalid holding pen, with minimal amenities.
Bad Apple tells the story of Maurice, a young lad of 16, whisked away in a kidnapping during a school trip to a settlement. In the ensuing events, he meets Wretch, a young troll estranged even from his own kin. Maurice and Wretch come to an understanding, with the latter breaking them out, and going in search of his birth parents. They find help from people they would not expect. All the while veraciously hunted by Governor Randall Shores, who seeks to recapture Wretch, along with the suspected troll who helped him. And on their journey, Maurice comes to see that perhaps the ways of the troll are not as bad as society had led him to believe.
While reading this, I came to think of the difference between the trolls and human adults as something analogous to the divide between young and old in our society. Nowadays, the young are more accepting of those who are different, in whatever way, despite the attempted indoctrination by the older generations. Meanwhile, elders would gladly see differences wiped away, or at least locked away where it cannot be seen. The trolls represent younger people, who may seem wild to some degree, but are simply open to expressing themselves in ways the older generations might deem wrong. And when all is said and done, the underground - the home of the trolls - becomes an appealing prospect: the unknown, the means by which one can carve their own path beneath the established order of society.
Perhaps I am reading too much into it, though this was my personal interpretation.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, especially given that is not my usual genre. A thrilling chase/road trip through southern England, with some thought-inducing social commentary hidden under the surface.
I have recommended it to a friend who is heavily into her YA fiction, and she seems keen to give it a go.
Trolls in this tale are a subterranean race, indistinguishable from humans. To give their offspring a better chance at life, trolls switch out human babies with that of their own, the switch only becoming apparent once puberty hits, and their troublesome personas and disregard for authority take hold. Often, they are cast aside by their unwitting adoptive families. To protect the general public, they are placed inside settlements, districts that are cordoned off from society. Supposedly they are looked after when inside. In truth, the place is a squalid holding pen, with minimal amenities.
Bad Apple tells the story of Maurice, a young lad of 16, whisked away in a kidnapping during a school trip to a settlement. In the ensuing events, he meets Wretch, a young troll estranged even from his own kin. Maurice and Wretch come to an understanding, with the latter breaking them out, and going in search of his birth parents. They find help from people they would not expect. All the while veraciously hunted by Governor Randall Shores, who seeks to recapture Wretch, along with the suspected troll who helped him. And on their journey, Maurice comes to see that perhaps the ways of the troll are not as bad as society had led him to believe.
While reading this, I came to think of the difference between the trolls and human adults as something analogous to the divide between young and old in our society. Nowadays, the young are more accepting of those who are different, in whatever way, despite the attempted indoctrination by the older generations. Meanwhile, elders would gladly see differences wiped away, or at least locked away where it cannot be seen. The trolls represent younger people, who may seem wild to some degree, but are simply open to expressing themselves in ways the older generations might deem wrong. And when all is said and done, the underground - the home of the trolls - becomes an appealing prospect: the unknown, the means by which one can carve their own path beneath the established order of society.
Perhaps I am reading too much into it, though this was my personal interpretation.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, especially given that is not my usual genre. A thrilling chase/road trip through southern England, with some thought-inducing social commentary hidden under the surface.
I have recommended it to a friend who is heavily into her YA fiction, and she seems keen to give it a go.
zzaakkiiyyaa's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
If you are into some serious adventuring, you will probably enjoy this one at lot more than I did. While I found it to be okay, I just wasn’t all that hooked — but yes, I did finish it. I almost DNF it, but I continued.
Initially, I was intrigued by the premise and I liked where it was headed. However, as the story progressed it was rather obvious what was going to happen at every turn.
The characters were decent — Wretch is, by far, my favourite. But I wasn’t necessarily enthralled by any of them. I had this overarching sense of “meh” when thinking about the main characters.
Don’t get me wrong, there are some good quotes in this book that I think people could learn from. For me though, it didn’t really do enough to grab and keep my attention. But yes, it still came out as a 3 star once I’d ran it through CAWPILE so there we go!
Initially, I was intrigued by the premise and I liked where it was headed. However, as the story progressed it was rather obvious what was going to happen at every turn.
The characters were decent — Wretch is, by far, my favourite. But I wasn’t necessarily enthralled by any of them. I had this overarching sense of “meh” when thinking about the main characters.
Don’t get me wrong, there are some good quotes in this book that I think people could learn from. For me though, it didn’t really do enough to grab and keep my attention. But yes, it still came out as a 3 star once I’d ran it through CAWPILE so there we go!
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