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apechild 's review for:
A Kestrel for a Knave
by Barry Hines
2010 bookcrossing: This is one of those books that was a school text and our class never did. So I kind of know about it even though I had never read the book or seen the film. I have now read the book. It was a very good book, but also a very depressing book. Realistic, I guess, about how crap life can be.
It's set in the 70s in south Yorkshire round a mining community. The main character is Billy Casper, who doesn't seem to have much going for him. He's a teenager who is not academically bright, comes from a poor family of a mother who's not particularly interested and an older brother who threatens him when he forgets to take his bets to the shop. At school he is bullied by the other lads - as he is described as quite a runty character - and even some of the teachers beat him and make his life a misery. The games teacher is a proper pyscho (although maybe that's a required qualification for games teachers). It does remind you just how crap school is. Despite all this though, he stands his own ground and doesn't come over as a wet dishrag. He likes to go wandering off into the countryside on his own, and one day decides to take a young kestrel from the nest to train it. He steals a book about falconry and learns how to look after the bird. This becomes his positive in life. Like I said, it's realism and it's depressing so you can kind of guess where this one is going. Really good little read though. I am glad they put it into that set I bought earlier this year or else I may never have thought to pick it up and give it a go.
It's set in the 70s in south Yorkshire round a mining community. The main character is Billy Casper, who doesn't seem to have much going for him. He's a teenager who is not academically bright, comes from a poor family of a mother who's not particularly interested and an older brother who threatens him when he forgets to take his bets to the shop. At school he is bullied by the other lads - as he is described as quite a runty character - and even some of the teachers beat him and make his life a misery. The games teacher is a proper pyscho (although maybe that's a required qualification for games teachers). It does remind you just how crap school is. Despite all this though, he stands his own ground and doesn't come over as a wet dishrag. He likes to go wandering off into the countryside on his own, and one day decides to take a young kestrel from the nest to train it. He steals a book about falconry and learns how to look after the bird. This becomes his positive in life. Like I said, it's realism and it's depressing so you can kind of guess where this one is going. Really good little read though. I am glad they put it into that set I bought earlier this year or else I may never have thought to pick it up and give it a go.