This is one of my favourite books so far this year. Set in New Zealand it's about a boy called Will who is dealing with a variety of issues at home and at school. He is getting a hard time from the school bully, he fancies a girl who seems unavailable to him, his grandfather falls ill, his father is aloof, and he is about to meet up with his mother for the first time in five years (after she left his father and moved to Australia). Although the book has some serious themes, it is told with wit and offers an entertaining insight into a teenagers life. I found it to be an amusing and enjoyable read. Here's a quote from the book:
"See this nail?" Will nodded.'I keep it specially long' - Perky stuck it into his ear and probed delicately - 'for cleaning small orifices.' He removed it, now golden with wax, and rolled the haul into a ball. He held it up between thumb and forefinger a moment. 'A minuscule sun, a tiny luteous orb.' He left it balanced on the pad of his thumb. Will grinned. 'Behold! The great god Perky, plucking new solar systems from his ears."
Image via Booksellers New Zealand