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The Wrong Hands by Nigel Richardson
Fourteen-year-old Graham Sinclair was born with huge, strange hands. He was also born with a secret. The only time he ever told someone his secret, it got him into big trouble. So he won’t be telling anyone ever again—or so he thinks. In this suspenseful and magical debut novel, Graham finds his life suddenly, thrillingly complicated—and his secret harder and harder to conceal.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
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40 people want to read
About the author
Nigel Richardson
41 books5 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
November 4, 2012
This was a strange little book, and I'm not quite sure what to make of it. The fantastical elements, because they were never really explained, placed the book more in the realm of magical realism than fantasy, with me wondering all the while whether those elements were really supposed to be symbolic of something else. There was definitely an underlying theme about how the things we're most ashamed of are what can make us the most beautiful and unique, which is an important message for teens to hear. But something about this book just didn't do it for me ... it's a sort of cynical read, with a sort of fixation upon beautiful women older than the narrator. I kept wondering exactly where the whole thing was supposed to be "going," and I'm still not entirely sure. And now, it's already gone!
The narrative voice is unique, and charming, probably the best thing about the book.
The narrative voice is unique, and charming, probably the best thing about the book.
December 2, 2008
All of us feel that there is a part of our body that everyone stares at or that is out of proportion to the rest of us. It may be our feet, our nose, our ears. In Graham's case it is his overly large hands. But added to that is his secret of what those hands can do. This is a story that keeps you reading but also keeps you yelling at the main characters to "Wise up!" "Pay attention!" "Listen!" But Graham (and his parents) don't wise up, pay attention or listen to each other (or talk to each other) until it is almost too late.
December 29, 2010
Graham's hands let him do some crazy things. Yes, Graham comes off as a bit dense, but there's something to be said for this: extraordinary gifts are sometimes more extraordinary because of the ordinariness of those who possess them.
I recommend this on audio--great British narrator.
I recommend this on audio--great British narrator.
December 3, 2012
Terrific YA book, weird and lovely. Some magical moments and also some heartbreaking ones. Mostly a story about a strange boy and how he copes with being "different". Also about how the world will treat you if you let your difference show.
June 16, 2018
This book was very interesting, and kind of relatable, but not to the extreme that this book brought it to. The beginning and middle were my favorite parts, but not so much the ending. I️ felt like the ending could’ve had more meaning or explanation. Nevertheless, this book shows a clear and important message to teenagers or other people who think that their insecurities and flaws define them — they don’t.
January 6, 2023
Dịch giả dịch mộc với sát quá, đang đọc mà tưởng Bến xe miền Tây chạy tới nhà ga King Cross :))))
Truyện khá là lạ, có thể nói là hiện thực huyền ảo chăng? Một hiện tượng kỳ dị nơi bàn tay lại trở thành một năng lực đặc biệt, rồi lại trở thành một con mồi cho nhiều âm mưu.
Nhưng mà kết hơi lạ với ngang chừng. Mạch truyện cũng không được trôi lắm, hơi chắp vá, có thể tác giả cố tình để kết mở cho độc giả cảm nhận chăng.
Truyện khá là lạ, có thể nói là hiện thực huyền ảo chăng? Một hiện tượng kỳ dị nơi bàn tay lại trở thành một năng lực đặc biệt, rồi lại trở thành một con mồi cho nhiều âm mưu.
Nhưng mà kết hơi lạ với ngang chừng. Mạch truyện cũng không được trôi lắm, hơi chắp vá, có thể tác giả cố tình để kết mở cho độc giả cảm nhận chăng.
September 15, 2017
I thought the book was pretty good minus the ending
April 13, 2018
This book was bizarre and borderline creepy, but it has some great moments, and I liked the ending.
April 16, 2019
This book is surreal bordering on bizarre. But the writing is poetic and even enchanting at times, and reminiscent of David Almond (a favorite of mine).
February 22, 2022
Weirdly compelling…until the last couple of chapters. I’ve not felt so let down for a while after finishing a book.
March 17, 2022
Didn't get very far with this one. Had thought it would be a great MS read, but oof, def not.
September 24, 2013
*****Spoiler Alert*****
Graham Sinclair is the flawed protagonist in Nigel Richardson's novel which is part magical realism, part fable. Graham's flaw comes from having extra-large, peculiarly shaped hands and how that seeming deformity has steered his life.
I really liked the book at the start while I was trying to understand Graham's problem. At that point the novel had elements which paralleled two books I really enjoyed. It was like Wonder in that his appearance set him apart as an object of fascination and repulsion. Also its voice was similar to The Curious Incident of the Dog in Night Time in the way the story unfolded in paragraphs in which Graham's important and unimportant observations have equal narrative attention.
My complaints, however, are two. First, there was too much travel back and forth between the same places with not much having changed between visits. In time, this made me impatient enough to realize that the first sentence in each paragraph was the plot line and all the rest were what Graham saw or thought while that bit of action went on.
My second complaint perhaps grew from the first. The story was at least 30% too long. That works out to be 80 of the 258 pages, all to my mind because of repetitive events. For example, Graham kept trusting Jennifer Slater, a newspaper reporter, thinking she was interested in him for his own sake, only to be disabused of the idea. How many times does anyone, especially one sensitized by being noticeably different from others, set aside a hurt and re-believe in the fantasy of acceptance or even romance? Graham seemed ignore all the signs of who Jennifer showed herself to be, even as the reader had, many many pages earlier, understood. While self-deception and wishful thinking does cloud everyone's vision from time to time, we are not offered any thinking by Graham that justifies a continuing acceptance of his fantasy in the face of her actions. For
us to believe in the way Graham seems to re-set his fantasy without
remembering where and how that belief had been earlier shattered, the author must give us how Graham can rationalize his flawed thinking.
Yet on another side, Richardson has a beautiful and remarkable ear (and eye) for describing things new to Graham. For example, watching his father lighting a cigar, "He made popping sounds with his lips as he sucked to keep it going. The red burning line moved down the cigar, and it crackled like an overhead cable in the rain" (p. 173). Or helping his mother, "And with a little lift from me Mom slipped through the window as smooth as honey off a hot spoon" (p. 253).
In summary, given the author's gifts of observation and choice of non-standard subjects, I look forward the whatever else he might offer, despite my two-star rating for this novel. (258 p.)
7th grade and up
February 5, 2016
Graham Sinclair was born with severely large, webbed, deformed hands. Living in a small town an hour out from London, Graham is an only child staying with his mom and dad, and he constantly gets bullied at school because of his hands. However, his hands also serve as source of a very dark secret. Graham has the ability to fly, and he does so with his hands. After an incident involving this ability scares one of the neighborhood girls, Graham’s parents ship him off to live with his uncle in London. Graham works under his uncle at his shop, and meets Kate and Derek. Just after getting settled in, there’s a massive plane crash in the London streets, and Graham is forced to use his secret in order to save a baby. What he didn’t know was that a reporter, Jennifer Slater, was watching him during the whole occurrence. Graham is portrayed as a hero in the media, but Jennifer contacts him and tells him she knows his secret. Jennifer turns his story into a twisted version of what happened, and the old discrimination that existed in Graham’s old town comes back, even in London. Graham’s mom gets in a car accident, but Graham hesitates to use his secret to save her, because Jennifer could destroy his reputation if she gets any more evidence of his odd ability. After Graham chooses to save his mother, Jennifer realizes the value of Graham’s personality, and chooses to give him the positive spin in the media again.
Those who would be interested in this book would be those who enjoy stories about not fitting in. The main character, Graham, is the pinnacle of social outcast, and I recommend this book to anyone who has gone through a similar experience. Although it wasn’t necessarily down my alley, this book probably appeals to a lot of the general audience, because it has many thought-provoking ideas and social commentation like how we view those who are different from us. It presents a lot of societal issues that aren’t often addressed in most teen novels.
This book was not up my alley. This was a very British novel, meaning the author, Nigel Richardson, uses tons of British idiomatic phrasing and terminology that made many details of the book hard to follow for an American. I thought the idea of the book was a step in the right direction, but the execution was messy and confusing. Graham’s secret wasn’t as realistic or well-justified as it could’ve been, and consequently the book suffered from a weak plot foundation. The unbelievableness of the plot especially doesn’t work for this book, due to its Realistic Fiction genre. I found it uninteresting and difficult to continue reading.
Those who would be interested in this book would be those who enjoy stories about not fitting in. The main character, Graham, is the pinnacle of social outcast, and I recommend this book to anyone who has gone through a similar experience. Although it wasn’t necessarily down my alley, this book probably appeals to a lot of the general audience, because it has many thought-provoking ideas and social commentation like how we view those who are different from us. It presents a lot of societal issues that aren’t often addressed in most teen novels.
This book was not up my alley. This was a very British novel, meaning the author, Nigel Richardson, uses tons of British idiomatic phrasing and terminology that made many details of the book hard to follow for an American. I thought the idea of the book was a step in the right direction, but the execution was messy and confusing. Graham’s secret wasn’t as realistic or well-justified as it could’ve been, and consequently the book suffered from a weak plot foundation. The unbelievableness of the plot especially doesn’t work for this book, due to its Realistic Fiction genre. I found it uninteresting and difficult to continue reading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2008
Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com
THE WRONG HANDS is a thought provoking novel written by Nigel Richardson. Mr. Richardson introduces the reader to fourteen-year-old Graham Sinclair. Like most people, Graham has a secret. His secret involves his hands.
Graham was born with large hands. It wasn't until he was seven that Graham realized how special his hands were. On a family vacation, as he accidentally starts to slide down the side of a cliff, he puts his hands out, and suddenly he's floating in the air. Graham can fly!!
His mother tells him to never tell anyone his secret, not even his father. When Graham was twelve, he made the mistake of telling a classmate. His secret was too much for her to handle, so she creates a lie that follows Graham ever after. His new nickname is now Perv, and the community thinks he's the stalker that's been reported in the woods.
Once summer vacation comes around, his parents send him to London to spend time with his Uncle George. On a fateful day, Graham witnesses a plane crash in the city. In the rubble of a hit building, he hears a crying baby. Without thinking about it, he flies up to the baby to rescue him. Little does he know that a lady has seen everything he has done. At that
point, Graham's life gets even more complicated. Pursued by a persistent lady journalist, everything that Graham says and does gets twisted and distorted.
Mr. Richardson lets the reader glimpse Graham's thoughts and the tragic spiraling of misunderstanding that follows him wherever he goes. In London, Graham finally feels like he's normal, even with his deformed hands. But even in London, he can't escape what happens when society attacks those that are different from the norm. Mr. Richardson makes the reader decide which side of the fence they are on with Graham. THE WRONG HANDS is a reminder that what we see in the news isn't always the truth.
THE WRONG HANDS is a thought provoking novel written by Nigel Richardson. Mr. Richardson introduces the reader to fourteen-year-old Graham Sinclair. Like most people, Graham has a secret. His secret involves his hands.
Graham was born with large hands. It wasn't until he was seven that Graham realized how special his hands were. On a family vacation, as he accidentally starts to slide down the side of a cliff, he puts his hands out, and suddenly he's floating in the air. Graham can fly!!
His mother tells him to never tell anyone his secret, not even his father. When Graham was twelve, he made the mistake of telling a classmate. His secret was too much for her to handle, so she creates a lie that follows Graham ever after. His new nickname is now Perv, and the community thinks he's the stalker that's been reported in the woods.
Once summer vacation comes around, his parents send him to London to spend time with his Uncle George. On a fateful day, Graham witnesses a plane crash in the city. In the rubble of a hit building, he hears a crying baby. Without thinking about it, he flies up to the baby to rescue him. Little does he know that a lady has seen everything he has done. At that
point, Graham's life gets even more complicated. Pursued by a persistent lady journalist, everything that Graham says and does gets twisted and distorted.
Mr. Richardson lets the reader glimpse Graham's thoughts and the tragic spiraling of misunderstanding that follows him wherever he goes. In London, Graham finally feels like he's normal, even with his deformed hands. But even in London, he can't escape what happens when society attacks those that are different from the norm. Mr. Richardson makes the reader decide which side of the fence they are on with Graham. THE WRONG HANDS is a reminder that what we see in the news isn't always the truth.
November 5, 2008
Graham Sinclair was born with huge, strange hands. The small English village where he lives cannot deal with the sight of his enormous hands and he is teased relentlessly as a child. Like most people, Graham harbors a secret; but his is so great that it seems even when his mother and a friend find out, they are not able to deal with it.
As a teenager, Graham is sent away to live with his uncle in England. After a plane crash and a heroic rescue of a baby from the rubble, Graham receives both star treatment and his share of threats from nut jobs. A beautiful and "classy" woman enters his life and he feels that with her he may be able to truly share his secret.
The Wrong Hands is a teen novel by Nigel Richardson which contemplates the tricky subject of trusting others and having them trust you in return. Graham will have to come to terms with his secret and you...as the reader...will hope that he finds a true friend along the way to cope.
As a teenager, Graham is sent away to live with his uncle in England. After a plane crash and a heroic rescue of a baby from the rubble, Graham receives both star treatment and his share of threats from nut jobs. A beautiful and "classy" woman enters his life and he feels that with her he may be able to truly share his secret.
The Wrong Hands is a teen novel by Nigel Richardson which contemplates the tricky subject of trusting others and having them trust you in return. Graham will have to come to terms with his secret and you...as the reader...will hope that he finds a true friend along the way to cope.
September 27, 2011
This book is about a boy named Graham Sinclair who isn't any normal boy. He can fly with his fingers. In his hometown Graham is known as Spakky 'cause of his fingers and is always being judged. This takes place mostly in London where Graham's parents sent him to live with his uncle, to get away from home and the trouble he has caused with the police. Graham comes to London to find out that no one is starring at him or judging him and he starts to feel more comfortable with his hands. While in London a plane crashed and instead of running Graham goes towards the plane and saves a baby and is now called a hero. This is when Jennifer saw him do something with his hands and wants to know what he did exactly. He meets a few people in London including Kate. Now Graham has to decide weather to tell Jennifer about his hands and trust her or not tell at all and keep it a secret like his mother told him to. I recommend this book to people interested in science fiction and mystery.
May 17, 2009
This was a pretty unique, good read.
From Booklist
Gr. 8-11. Graham, 14, is taunted at school because of his huge, strange hands, but even when he is called a pervert and freak, his mom insists that the names are better than having the truth comes out. Then Graham becomes a hero by rescuing a baby from a burning London building. The question is, how did he do it? And why is gorgeous Jennifer, who witnessed the rescue, e-mailing him and calling him on his cell phone? The mix of contemporary technology with magical realism makes for a thrilling mystery, with surprises that continue throughout the story. There's sometimes too much going on, but just when you think you have missed something, there's an explanation, which inevitably leads to more mystery. Luckily, everything culminates in a triumphant climax. Older fans of David Almond's Skellig (1999) will want this clever debut novel
From Booklist
Gr. 8-11. Graham, 14, is taunted at school because of his huge, strange hands, but even when he is called a pervert and freak, his mom insists that the names are better than having the truth comes out. Then Graham becomes a hero by rescuing a baby from a burning London building. The question is, how did he do it? And why is gorgeous Jennifer, who witnessed the rescue, e-mailing him and calling him on his cell phone? The mix of contemporary technology with magical realism makes for a thrilling mystery, with surprises that continue throughout the story. There's sometimes too much going on, but just when you think you have missed something, there's an explanation, which inevitably leads to more mystery. Luckily, everything culminates in a triumphant climax. Older fans of David Almond's Skellig (1999) will want this clever debut novel
October 8, 2009
A book with a promising premise and beginning that ultimately turns out to be very disappointing.
The book follows Graham Sinclair, an offbeat teenager with giant hands and a secret. Graham's sent to London for the summer, to avoid trouble in his small hometown. He stays with his uncle and plans on an uneventful visit until he performs a heroic rescue and a stranger discovers his dirty secret.
Most of my problem with the book comes in the form of missed plot opportunities. Seemingly major events happen and then are hardly mentioned again, creating an uneven narrative and quite a few "Hey, wait, wha??" reader moments. There is no real resolution -- not for Graham or his secret -- and there's no come-uppance for the baddies that try to take advantage of Graham throughout the entire story.
The book follows Graham Sinclair, an offbeat teenager with giant hands and a secret. Graham's sent to London for the summer, to avoid trouble in his small hometown. He stays with his uncle and plans on an uneventful visit until he performs a heroic rescue and a stranger discovers his dirty secret.
Most of my problem with the book comes in the form of missed plot opportunities. Seemingly major events happen and then are hardly mentioned again, creating an uneven narrative and quite a few "Hey, wait, wha??" reader moments. There is no real resolution -- not for Graham or his secret -- and there's no come-uppance for the baddies that try to take advantage of Graham throughout the entire story.
May 25, 2012
I very much like realistic stories with bits of the fantastic thrown in. This is one of those stories.
Graham can't seem to stay out of trouble. His teenage choices are very irritating and stupid...which makes him a pretty realistic character. He redeems himself throughout the story though with bits of Graham Sinclair wisdom. The secret about His hands was unexpected, but sort of a let down.
Interesting read. Funny at times. yet fairly serious. It ended like a short story. Hanging with quite a few loose ends. I don't find that to be a bad thing though. I really like imagining my own scenarios of how things end up. The humor is very British. I had to Internet quite a few phrases and there were a few I still didn't understand, but funny nonetheless.
Give it a try.
Graham can't seem to stay out of trouble. His teenage choices are very irritating and stupid...which makes him a pretty realistic character. He redeems himself throughout the story though with bits of Graham Sinclair wisdom. The secret about His hands was unexpected, but sort of a let down.
Interesting read. Funny at times. yet fairly serious. It ended like a short story. Hanging with quite a few loose ends. I don't find that to be a bad thing though. I really like imagining my own scenarios of how things end up. The humor is very British. I had to Internet quite a few phrases and there were a few I still didn't understand, but funny nonetheless.
Give it a try.
February 3, 2009
Weird and funny. Sometimes I was frustrated with Graham because he was so dumb. I had to remind myself that he wasn't the star & narrator of this story because he is so bright and precocios, but because he has flippers for hands. He's 14 years old, and not an especially sophisticated fourteen, which is unusual for the YA genre.
The ending was a bit 'eh' - it was supposed to be liberating, but I'm not sure it was realistic. I'll be charitable and say that it was symbolic.
If you're thinking about reading this, listen instead like I did. Graham's Yorkshire accent, and the auditory excellence of every time he said 'Spacky' probably jumped this from three stars to four.
The ending was a bit 'eh' - it was supposed to be liberating, but I'm not sure it was realistic. I'll be charitable and say that it was symbolic.
If you're thinking about reading this, listen instead like I did. Graham's Yorkshire accent, and the auditory excellence of every time he said 'Spacky' probably jumped this from three stars to four.
July 27, 2010
I am not a huge fan of science fiction so when we were required to pick on from the science fiction section, I was not very happy. However, this book has totally changed my view! The author really keeps the reader in suspense as to what the secret might be that the main character is hiding. As the book unfolds, I thought I knew what the secret was, but I wasn't exactly sure.
This would be a great choice for reluctant science fiction readers and for anyone who just enjoys a good suspenseful story.
This would be a great choice for reluctant science fiction readers and for anyone who just enjoys a good suspenseful story.
October 2, 2013
This was not what I wanted it to be. First of all, the plot was terrible, such as there was a plot at all, really. Second, I had no sympathy for the protagonist whatsoever. He wasn't evil; I just didn't care about him. Also, the ending was unsatisfying.
The one good point of this novel was the use of figurative language. I had a writing teacher who taught me that you shouldn't use a simile unless it's a damn good one. I was really impressed with Richardson's use of similes; they were all effective and inventive and caused me to think of things in new ways.
The one good point of this novel was the use of figurative language. I had a writing teacher who taught me that you shouldn't use a simile unless it's a damn good one. I was really impressed with Richardson's use of similes; they were all effective and inventive and caused me to think of things in new ways.
September 5, 2014
This book failed to meet its potential. It's British, it has a charming (if not a little pathetic) protagonist, it has magic, and it has a dark secret. These elements should add up to a good story. And it does start of interesting enough, but then nothing really happens. The protagonist spends a shocking amount of time wandering around. He is also confused quite a bit of the time, which was frustrating. There are a host of other problems, as well, but I just don't care enough to list them. Pick something else.
December 17, 2011
The reader was excellent. Enjoyed listening to him. The story was one you want to shout at the main character for being so naive and not learning from his mistakes. I guess he was from a small town where people can be very trusting and naive.
April 21, 2008
Adolescent literature book.
I listened to this on cd on my long trek to work. The man who reads it did a beautiful job. It's a unique book with depth and humor and beautiful word choice.
I listened to this on cd on my long trek to work. The man who reads it did a beautiful job. It's a unique book with depth and humor and beautiful word choice.
September 27, 2008
Grahame Sinclair has a lot of wisdom to share...if only people would listen to him and quit staring at his hands...
October 26, 2008
If you liked David Almond's Skellig, you might like this one.
June 15, 2010
A very good short story about a boy with a secret...
October 18, 2012
It took too long--since I was listening to an audiobook version--to get to Graham's secret. The ending was a little odd. Everything else is interesting & likeable.
August 14, 2012
Interesting character, great reader. Story kind of lost momentum though...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews