The Book Vipers discussion

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Things to consider:

1. Did you like the book?
2. Did you like or dislike the main characters?
3. Do the characters develop?
4. What did you think of the plot and the ending of the story?
5. Do you have any particular favourite quotes or scenes?
6. Would you read anything else by this author?

This book was really powerful and heart-breaking. I loved it. It's written very simply from the perspective of a very vulnerable child, and I think that aspect definitely worked and added to its emotional pull. The story line around the Leon's loss of baby Jake and his protectiveness for his absent mother, who he hears being constantly criticised by those around him felt very real. As did the slightly dissociated box-ticking of the professionals involved, and the constant need to fight against bureaucracy to get anything,
such as the promised letter about Jake (my daughter has SEN and we have to fight endlessly for every single inch of help she receives, so, though different, this resonates). The characters were believable, although some scenes weren't tied up properly - we never seemed to find out what had tragedy happened to the grumpy Irishman's Brazilian family (Mr Dixon?- unless I missed it by racing through!) and although Maureen was described as if she would "never be the same" after her stroke, she certainly seemed to have no persistent, say, one-sided weakness or speech problem (maybe I'm nit picking, but that annoyed me!). I would recommend this book, though don't read it on the London Underground as I did - I was fighting tears from Elephant and Castle to Oxford Circus. By the time I finished it at home last night, I was in a sobbing heap!

I really enjoyed this book too. I raced through it in two days! In spite of the sometimes heart-breaking story, it was a cozy read. De Waal's language is really powerful, even though we get Leon's point of view there was much said between the lines.
I expected to give this 5 stars, but then the ending fell a bit flat for me. After all the drama in the previous chapters, it just felt a bit too tidy and polished. Don't get me wrong: I wanted nothing more than for Leon to be able to stay with Maureen. It's the details surrounding the fact that didn't gel for me, like Sylvia suddenly going out with Mr. Devlin, which didn't come naturally.
Still, it was a lovely book and I'm excited to see what Kit de Waal does next as an author.

This was at times heartbreaking, at other times heartwarming.

I loved the characters. The way Maureen gets him to trust her to look after Jake is just wonderful.

Even though it was written in the third person, I really felt involved with Leon and could see and understand his feelings. It was very cleverly done. I could see that he was stealing to express hurt and frustration and hoarding things in his rucksack in reaction to having had everything important taken away from him.

I'm not sure that the race riots were a necessary backdrop. The issues that Leon had with his family and the fostercare system were enough. The issues with the police and the race riots seemed like too big a subject to properly explore in this book and shoehorning them in doesn't seem to do the book, or the subject, justice.

This was a great read. Becky - I wrote my review (below) before I read your comments - entirely agree about the use of the third person and conveying Leon! That struck me right from the off.

I hear what you say about the backdrop of the riots, but I read that as setting the scene for the times we were in, turbulence everywhere on a general and a domestic scale. As Leon was half black and came face to face with both the racist police and the riots themselves, I saw this as demonstrating on a wider level the issues and difficulties he was facing. His brother was adopted because he was white, Leon wasn't adopted because he was black. The smaller and the greater fight... etc etc.

My review:

I really enjoyed this book. Not quite a 5* but not far from it.

It's quite an emotional rollercoaster, but the author does a great job of narrating in the third person but very much putting us in Leon's shoes and seeing the world how he sees it. Leon is a kind and thoughtful son and brother who has much more to deal with that most nine year olds in terms of caring for his baby brother and his unstable mother. All he wants is for it all to be "ok".

His world is turned upside down, several times - his sadness, frustration and anger turn to determination to right what's wrong. He finds comfort and care in unexpected ways, and he never gives up hope. Those around him don't give up on him either.

Highly recommend.

I agree Jo, a great read. I gave it 4 stars because I'm quite stingy with my 5 stars.

I think the race riots were interesting in terms of historical context etc. (I agree with all the points you make) and I didn’t really think including them was a bad thing, just not really necessary given the depth and subtlety of the rest of the story.

I would definitely like to read more by this author.

I think her new book is on the longlist for the women's fiction prize

It is indeed, called The Trick to Time

My library has the new one on order, so I have it on reserve.

I liked this book very much, much more than I expected to. (I was afraid it would be either a misery memoir or a cutesy sentimental piece -happily it was neither.) I’m not quite sure why but I generally don’t like fiction written in the present tense, but somehow this one drew me in. I felt a huge emotional engagement with Leon and anger at many of the other characters - the professionals of course but also his mother.
I thought that it being written in the third person but with a tight focus on Leon’s viewpoint was very effective, enabling us to identify with Leon’s feelings but also to let us see glimpses of what he is missing.
I have given it 5 stars but I do have some reservations about the end. I agree with Sam’s comment, above, that everything was tied up a bit too neatly. I think it would be a better book without the very last chapter. It’s not just that the happy/romantic ending for Mr Devlin and Sylvia seemed contrived, it’s also that the story no longer feels as though it’s being seen through Leon’s eyes.

I absolutely loved this book although it had had me crying on my sun lounger for the past 24 hours.

I was worried that this was going to be one of those misery lit books that you see in the supermarket but this is in a different class. I thought that the backdrop of the race riots made the book.

I fell in love with Leon and he very much read as a real person. I have worked with lots of difficult and angry children who have acted as carers for their parents and siblings. I also have experience of the care system and well meaning professionals who are ultimately clueless. I loved the line about the teacher putting on a voice that they save for talking to students in front of their parents. I have been that teacher.

I had a tough childhood and grew up in the era this was set. I watched the royal wedding but grew up clueless about the riots, having recently read “Why I’m no longer talking to white people about race” it made me reflect on the fact that even a kid like me had white privilege. For me the riots were something I read about as an adult- they felt removed from my life. If you are into historical coincidences we also had a royal wedding and a riot in 2011 which makes you reflect on the fcat that not much has changed.

If

My review
Check out My Name is Leon by Kit de Waal
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Great review, Nikki. Leon was a fully realised, believable, incredible character. This book really brought it home to me how much young children love and trust their parent(s) unconditionally. Oh, the separation from his brother...! Just heartbreaking.

Thanks Lisa. I cried in just about every scene that brought up the separation.