A review by flappermyrtle
Coram Boy by Jamila Gavin

3.0

Coram Boy has a strange structure. It is a fairly slow narrative, with sudden bursts of exciting events interspersing it. It's a tragic tale of family and especially the start deals with almost unspeakable horrors that made me wonder how exactly this would be an acceptable read for children. There is a variety of characters, initially portrayed black-and-white, but fortunately allowing for shades of grey later on. It feels scattered at times, but all is neatly tied up in the end, which is satisfactory. The division in two parts works in the book's favour, forcing the reader to figure out events that happened between the finish of part one and the start of part two, bringing a certain aspect of the detective into play.