nick Brooke

"New Head on the Block" by Nick Brooke.

Book Launched 5th December, 2008 in Oxford

It has been a pleasure to review a manuscript of such innovation and style. Its style should appeal to a wide portion of the population.

The story opens well, throwing the reader into the immediate atmosphere in which the characters live, with descriptions that introduce them without becoming overbearing. The reader is introduced to the story without having to endure any weighty prose, which can often detract from an opening if it does not keep one's attention.

The immediate appeal of this story is in the situation of its main character. A 'chav' who has won the lottery, finds himself living gentrified lifestyle in the world of the wealthy. Before reading the book, one can imagine the sort of humorous scenarios which can arise from this situation. The author skilfully brings these to life, and the manuscript is packed full with laughs and a few cringe worthy awkward moments.

Coupled with this, however, is more of a satirical commentary on the issue of class divides which, despite the best efforts of advocates of political correctness, is still very much a factor of British society. Without going outside itself, the story speaks volumes about some facets of human nature.

The author has achieved his aim, which is to make his descriptions valid and the exciting climax of the story believable. Above all, the author has drawn a word portrait of the situations within the storyline with a sensitivity appropriate to this genre. Due to the obvious great care which has been put into this well written, well presented m/s, only standard proofreading and minimal editing should be necessary. Moreover, this is a memorable book which will certainly leave the reader wanting more.

Reviewer: Andrew Cameron