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The Crew
Meet Ellie, Jas, Della, Will and Billy. They’re tough. They’re street-smart. They’re the Crew and they live in what they call the Ghetto -- the housing around the city centre where everyone is broke and it’s important to stick together. No one bothers you when you’re part of a gang except, sometimes the older gangs, who can be dangerous.
309 pages, Paperback
First published March 6, 2003
16 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
About the author
Bali Rai
80 books73 followersBali Rai was born in 1971 and grew up in Leicester. As a child, Bali wanted to be a footballer or to write stories. Always an avid reader, he hails Sue Townsend, Douglas Adams and Robert Swindells as his writing heroes. Bali grew up reading Dr Seuss and Meg and Mog and his first book purchase was The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. He realised he wasn't good enough to play for Liverpool F.C. and after gaining a politics degree in London he returned to his home city and combined a variety of jobs in pubs and clubs with completing his first novel. Bali set about writing a story he had been thinking about for many years. He wanted to write accessible material for children of all ages and backgrounds and realising there were no British Asian authors writing for children, he saw a gap. Bali hopes his novels capture the unique ethnic mix of the UK, of which he is proud to be a part.
Bali writes stories inspired by his working class Punjabi/Sikh background, but his aim was always that his writing should be enjoyed by readers everywhere, irrespective of class or culture. His has the ability to tackle the harsh realities of growing up in the UK and blend this with humour and often a overriding optimism. Bali visits schools and libraries in every major UK city, averaging 70 school and library events a year.
His first book, (un)arranged marriage, created a huge amount of interest and won many awards, including the Angus Book Award and the Leicester Book of the Year. It was also shortlisted for the prestigious Branford Boase first novel award. Rani and Sukh and The Whisper were both shortlisted for the Booktrust Teenage Prize.
All of Bali’s teen titles have been short-listed for awards across the UK, including twice making the Booktrust Teenage Prize shortlist. His third novel Rani and Sukh has represented the UK at the International IBBY awards and this title has its own Facebook tribute group set up by fans. Bali’s first three novels appear in The Ultimate Teenage Book Guide. Bali also writes shorter novels for Barrington Stoke, his first book, Dream On, was selected for the Booktrust’s inaugural Booked Up list. He also writes the hugely popular Soccer Squad series for younger readers.
Bali writes stories inspired by his working class Punjabi/Sikh background, but his aim was always that his writing should be enjoyed by readers everywhere, irrespective of class or culture. His has the ability to tackle the harsh realities of growing up in the UK and blend this with humour and often a overriding optimism. Bali visits schools and libraries in every major UK city, averaging 70 school and library events a year.
His first book, (un)arranged marriage, created a huge amount of interest and won many awards, including the Angus Book Award and the Leicester Book of the Year. It was also shortlisted for the prestigious Branford Boase first novel award. Rani and Sukh and The Whisper were both shortlisted for the Booktrust Teenage Prize.
All of Bali’s teen titles have been short-listed for awards across the UK, including twice making the Booktrust Teenage Prize shortlist. His third novel Rani and Sukh has represented the UK at the International IBBY awards and this title has its own Facebook tribute group set up by fans. Bali’s first three novels appear in The Ultimate Teenage Book Guide. Bali also writes shorter novels for Barrington Stoke, his first book, Dream On, was selected for the Booktrust’s inaugural Booked Up list. He also writes the hugely popular Soccer Squad series for younger readers.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 22, 2022
Liked the plot for the most part, chill read
August 21, 2018
Billy og gjengen hans bor i et røft nabolag. Når de finner en bag med penger de ikke overlater til politiet umiddelbart, står problemene i kø. Ikke Rais beste bok, men spennende og actionfyllt, selv om det tar litt tid før historien kommer igang.
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May 29, 2023it was fine, i read it for school so i was kinda forced. i would normally not pick this up, but i still liked it somehow. it was slow in the beginning, but i started to get into the book when things really started to happen.
April 5, 2013
There's a lot to love about Bali Rai. He writes with a sort of sharp truth that's bolstered, always, with a lot of heart. He may write about difficult situations but he does so with a great love and belief in his characters.
The Crew is full of love. The titular crew are Jas, Della, Will, Billy and Ellie who fight and love and stick up for each other without question. And they have to - because the world they live in is difficult and they're always moments from being swallowed up in it.
One day The Crew discover a bag of money on the street. A bag full of a lot of money. That's where it all starts to go very, very wrong.
It's an addictive, swift read that locks you in through some very lovely writing. Rai is great at giving his characters depth, even those who appear briefly in the background. This world is rooted in reality and as such, it's one you believe in.
There's clearly a strong moral throughout the story, but it's one that can be ultimately interpreted by the reader which is refreshing. What is worthwhile noting is that it's not a moral that slips into sermonising at any point. Do note though that there's some mature themes throughout this book that would require consideration before reccommending to a younger reader.
There's also an interesting discussion to be had here on the nature of family - whether it's something you're born with or you build and what happens when that family is threatened.
I like Bali Rai. I like him a lot. He pushes, provokes and challenges without ever losing the heart of his story, and that's a skill to be greatly envious of.
The Crew is full of love. The titular crew are Jas, Della, Will, Billy and Ellie who fight and love and stick up for each other without question. And they have to - because the world they live in is difficult and they're always moments from being swallowed up in it.
One day The Crew discover a bag of money on the street. A bag full of a lot of money. That's where it all starts to go very, very wrong.
It's an addictive, swift read that locks you in through some very lovely writing. Rai is great at giving his characters depth, even those who appear briefly in the background. This world is rooted in reality and as such, it's one you believe in.
There's clearly a strong moral throughout the story, but it's one that can be ultimately interpreted by the reader which is refreshing. What is worthwhile noting is that it's not a moral that slips into sermonising at any point. Do note though that there's some mature themes throughout this book that would require consideration before reccommending to a younger reader.
There's also an interesting discussion to be had here on the nature of family - whether it's something you're born with or you build and what happens when that family is threatened.
I like Bali Rai. I like him a lot. He pushes, provokes and challenges without ever losing the heart of his story, and that's a skill to be greatly envious of.
May 17, 2008
The Crew is a mystery set in rough neighborhood in London among a gang of teenagers. The story is told from the point of view of Billy, the leader and Ellie, the youngest member.
Billy and his crew look after themselves because the local police don't seem willing to their part even when there is a missing bag of money, a pair of kidnappings and other related crimes. Billy isn't perfect; he's done his fair share of petty crimes but he's trying to do the right thing in this book.
Unlike (Un)Arranged Marriage, the parents and adults in this novel have good relationships with their children. This isn't a book about the power struggle between adults and teens and the way tradition can be used as a disguise for abuse. Instead, this is a social commentary on life in the inner city.
The city here is London so many of the cultural references are specific to that city but on a broader sense, the book is about the hardships and frustrations of living in any city center. Billy describes the poverty, the drugs, the apathetic (and sometimes corrupt) police force, prostitution and gangs. Billy running commentary often includes the why behind a character's actions which makes The Crew less of a collection of cliches and more of a living breathing microcosm.
Billy and his crew look after themselves because the local police don't seem willing to their part even when there is a missing bag of money, a pair of kidnappings and other related crimes. Billy isn't perfect; he's done his fair share of petty crimes but he's trying to do the right thing in this book.
Unlike (Un)Arranged Marriage, the parents and adults in this novel have good relationships with their children. This isn't a book about the power struggle between adults and teens and the way tradition can be used as a disguise for abuse. Instead, this is a social commentary on life in the inner city.
The city here is London so many of the cultural references are specific to that city but on a broader sense, the book is about the hardships and frustrations of living in any city center. Billy describes the poverty, the drugs, the apathetic (and sometimes corrupt) police force, prostitution and gangs. Billy running commentary often includes the why behind a character's actions which makes The Crew less of a collection of cliches and more of a living breathing microcosm.
February 16, 2008
I really loved this book.It is about a gang called The crew who get into allot of trouble and they like to by drugs off drug dealers and they love to swear .
October 1, 2008
Good Book :D
February 11, 2012
This is gripping and i loved it!
May 11, 2012
it was too slow
April 15, 2013
It was ok, but it didn't really fascinate me. I usually like stories written for teenagers but this just seems quite far fetched most of the time.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews