A review by nightshade_novels
The Boy in the Smoke by Maureen Johnson
3.0
It has been a while since I have read a World Book Day Book. But I have been intrigued by Johnson’s work for a while after learning that she is friends with John Green and Scot Westerfeld and that they used to write together.
I realised after I bought it that is was part of Johnson’s Shades of London series, and is in fact a prequel to the series.
I enjoyed the story; I was intrigued from the start when Stephen’s parents abandoned him at school to go on holiday. I liked Regina, but was unsure what to make of her when I realised that she was taking drugs, however
I liked Peter and would have liked to learn more about him, but that is clearly out of the reach of such a short book.
It pleased me that Stephen managed to get to become a Policeman after a fashion. As that was all he had ever wanted to become, and it got back at his parents for being so uncaring and yet expecting so much from him.
I enjoyed this little book, and it has made me even more determined to read some of Johnson’s other works.
I realised after I bought it that is was part of Johnson’s Shades of London series, and is in fact a prequel to the series.
I enjoyed the story; I was intrigued from the start when Stephen’s parents abandoned him at school to go on holiday. I liked Regina, but was unsure what to make of her when I realised that she was taking drugs, however
Spoiler
her death was quite sad, just because of the manner in which she died.I liked Peter and would have liked to learn more about him, but that is clearly out of the reach of such a short book.
It pleased me that Stephen managed to get to become a Policeman after a fashion. As that was all he had ever wanted to become, and it got back at his parents for being so uncaring and yet expecting so much from him.
I enjoyed this little book, and it has made me even more determined to read some of Johnson’s other works.