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Kenny and Nicky find a watch in the bottom of Bacon Pond - along with the body its attached to. When local gangsters get involved, the brothers find themselves in too deep and in danger.
A powerful companion piece to the Carnegie long-listed Brock.
A powerful companion piece to the Carnegie long-listed Brock.
- GenresYoung AdultAudiobook
132 pages, Paperback
First published May 15, 2015
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142 people want to read
About the author
Anthony McGowan
89 books83 followersAnthony John McGowan is an English author of books for children, teenagers and adults. He is the winner of the 2020 CILIP Carnegie Medal for Lark. In addition to his 2020 win, he has been twice longlisted (for The Knife That Killed Me in 2008 and Brock in 2014) and once shortlisted (for Rook in 2018) for the CILIP Carnegie Medal, and is the winner of the 2006 Booktrust Teenage Prize for Henry Tumour.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
January 24, 2023
In Pike, in the second of Anthony McGowan's four young adult novellas about teenaged brothers Nicky and Kenny (from 2015 and which has a reading comprehension level of about nine or ten years of age, is presented in a dyslexia-friendly format but is in my humble opinion thematically meant for readers above the age of twelve or so), we return to the contemporary Yorkshire world of Nicky and his older intellectually challenged brother Kenny about a year or so after they saved a young badger from a grizzly death at the hands of a nasty group of local and horrible bullies (see Brock), with the boys' lives much improved, as while money is still pretty tight (and that Nicky and Kenny must therefore keep their pastimes simple, such as for example going fishing on Bacon Pond), their father has quit drinking, has a job he enjoys and also a steady girlfriend whom Nicky and Kenny both like and vice versa.
And it is on the above mentioned Bacon Pond (and on one of Nicky and Kenny's fishing excursions) that the "adventures" of Pike basically start. For when their Jack Russell terrier Tina gets into deep water, and Nicky jumps into Bacon Pond to help her, to retrieve her, he sees something lurking under the murky water, a human hand wearing a Rolex, and that the only individual in the village with enough money for such an expensive watch would be local "gangster" type Mick Bowen, who has been missing since Nicky and Kenny’s father told the police that the stolen goods found in their shed last year belonged to him, belonged to Mick Bowen (and with Nicky, instead of contacting the authorities about what he has found, deciding in Pike to to try to retrieve the Rolex from the man's, from Mick Bowen's dead hand and then selling it to make money for the family and which of course causes and creates all kinds of problems).
But while with regard to Anthony McGowan's writing, Pike like its predecessor Brock is masterfully, is engagingly penned and presented (and often also showing a wry and appreciated sense of humour), with a short but lyrically intense text and delightful descriptiveness, and that Nicky and Kenny's lives and their relationship as brothers are portrayed by McGowan realistically and with much sympathy and empathy, well I do have to admit that unlike with Brock, which I found often disturbing (due to the featured cruelty to animals) but also totally believable, utterly relatable and as such majorly textually wonderful and brilliant, Pike does leave me more than a bit textually conflicted and a trifle annoyed and frustrated. Sure, what surrounds the "retrieval of the watch from Bacon Pond" scenario in Pike, including the information about Nicky and Kenny's mother (why she left, that she had suffered from post-partum depression, that she is now in Canada and actually thought that Nicky and Kenny were rejecting her when her undeliverable letters to them never received responses) is both heartwarming and heartbreaking (and fills in many gaps not only for Nicky and Kenny but also for their father and for us as readers). However and for me personally, the Rolex scenario (with missing local villain Mick Bowen and Nicky's plan to retrieve the watch) it feels rather artificial, rather unrealistic and much too mystery oriented for my reading tastes and does leave me regarding Pike not really enjoying a major, if not even the major part of Anthony McGowan's story (and thus a rating of only a low three stars for Pike, although I do think that readers who are into mysteries as a genre will likely find Pike much more appealing than I have).
And it is on the above mentioned Bacon Pond (and on one of Nicky and Kenny's fishing excursions) that the "adventures" of Pike basically start. For when their Jack Russell terrier Tina gets into deep water, and Nicky jumps into Bacon Pond to help her, to retrieve her, he sees something lurking under the murky water, a human hand wearing a Rolex, and that the only individual in the village with enough money for such an expensive watch would be local "gangster" type Mick Bowen, who has been missing since Nicky and Kenny’s father told the police that the stolen goods found in their shed last year belonged to him, belonged to Mick Bowen (and with Nicky, instead of contacting the authorities about what he has found, deciding in Pike to to try to retrieve the Rolex from the man's, from Mick Bowen's dead hand and then selling it to make money for the family and which of course causes and creates all kinds of problems).
But while with regard to Anthony McGowan's writing, Pike like its predecessor Brock is masterfully, is engagingly penned and presented (and often also showing a wry and appreciated sense of humour), with a short but lyrically intense text and delightful descriptiveness, and that Nicky and Kenny's lives and their relationship as brothers are portrayed by McGowan realistically and with much sympathy and empathy, well I do have to admit that unlike with Brock, which I found often disturbing (due to the featured cruelty to animals) but also totally believable, utterly relatable and as such majorly textually wonderful and brilliant, Pike does leave me more than a bit textually conflicted and a trifle annoyed and frustrated. Sure, what surrounds the "retrieval of the watch from Bacon Pond" scenario in Pike, including the information about Nicky and Kenny's mother (why she left, that she had suffered from post-partum depression, that she is now in Canada and actually thought that Nicky and Kenny were rejecting her when her undeliverable letters to them never received responses) is both heartwarming and heartbreaking (and fills in many gaps not only for Nicky and Kenny but also for their father and for us as readers). However and for me personally, the Rolex scenario (with missing local villain Mick Bowen and Nicky's plan to retrieve the watch) it feels rather artificial, rather unrealistic and much too mystery oriented for my reading tastes and does leave me regarding Pike not really enjoying a major, if not even the major part of Anthony McGowan's story (and thus a rating of only a low three stars for Pike, although I do think that readers who are into mysteries as a genre will likely find Pike much more appealing than I have).
April 6, 2018
Do not be fooled by the fact that this is a short book into thinking that it is easy, or without weight. All three of these books - Brock, Rook and Pike have great emotional depth whilst still being in the short Barrington Stoke format. That shows immense skill by the writer Anthony McGowan and the last one deserves it’s place on the Carnegie shortlist. Gritty and realistic reads, excellent books.
November 20, 2021
А можно опять про барсука?
August 4, 2015
I thought that I’d read Pike’s earlier ‘sibling’ novel Brock before I read this book. The two can easily be read as independent stories, but I’d urge you right now to pick up both if you can. They aren’t so close that they need to be read as Book 1/Book 2, but, like the main characters these titles share, they are as closely related yet unique in character as brothers. I wasn’t quite prepared to be floored by McGowan’s lean and powerful writing, but I was. Look up my review of Brock. ‘McGowan Super Concentrate’ is what I called it, and I greedily double-dosed.
Pike is another superbly crafted slice of storytelling. For a tale that starts in the murky depths of Bacon Pond, there is a subtler element of the clarity that comes with perspective going on here – family, and what that word means, and how it feels to find your place within whatever variation of that you find yourself in, and reasons that a bully might behave the way they do… This book feels like it’s showing you all the refractions of emotional response. McGowan has delivered again that weight, fear, empathy, peer intimidation, all those consequences and responsibilities, balanced with brotherliness, tenderness, humour and hope. There is a great action-filled plot that keeps the reader fully engaged with the story, and plenty of breathless, cliff-hanger chapter breaks that make this book a perfect ‘in’ for the more reluctant reader .
Anyone who reads the first two pages of Pike will want to read the rest immediately. Ironic, maybe, but McGowan will have you hook, line and sinker…
Pike is another superbly crafted slice of storytelling. For a tale that starts in the murky depths of Bacon Pond, there is a subtler element of the clarity that comes with perspective going on here – family, and what that word means, and how it feels to find your place within whatever variation of that you find yourself in, and reasons that a bully might behave the way they do… This book feels like it’s showing you all the refractions of emotional response. McGowan has delivered again that weight, fear, empathy, peer intimidation, all those consequences and responsibilities, balanced with brotherliness, tenderness, humour and hope. There is a great action-filled plot that keeps the reader fully engaged with the story, and plenty of breathless, cliff-hanger chapter breaks that make this book a perfect ‘in’ for the more reluctant reader .
Anyone who reads the first two pages of Pike will want to read the rest immediately. Ironic, maybe, but McGowan will have you hook, line and sinker…
June 30, 2020
A beautifully written story that juxtaposes beautiful landscapes and wildlife with poverty, loss, violence and social deprivation. Second in the series about Kenny and Nicky. Simply written but so true and affecting, I love this series.
January 26, 2022
I didn't enjoy this quite as much as the first one. It's not as cohesive a narrative and is left pretty open ended in a muddled way at the end.
Pike is still worth the read/listen for the characters alone but seems to be a vehicle to set up the next book in the series.
Pike is still worth the read/listen for the characters alone but seems to be a vehicle to set up the next book in the series.
January 2, 2026
such a poignant and lovely series
April 23, 2018
I liked Brock but I really enjoyed Pike. It was good to see how the characters had grown. Anthony McGowan shows some serious skill getting you invested in the lives of his characters in a book that is just under 130 pages. I am looking forward to reading Rook.
September 12, 2020
Short and simply written but so vivid and descriptive. This is an exceptional story of brotherly love and loyalty.
November 8, 2020
Another slice of social realism with two likeable young heroes.
Part of a collection of novellas by Anthony McGowan (awarded the Carnegie for one of the titles), each brings a snippet of the lives of two teenager brothers and adds an animal character as a catalyst for a plot.
Pike gives us the two, with slower elder brother Kenny looked after by the younger, smarter Nicky. We've met them before. Working class, with a struggling dad and lack of resources, a fishing trip that nearly ends with an accident leads them to discovering something that could bring them unexpected wealth.
But of course, nothing is ever free, and a body in the water may bring its own dangers to them.
Nicky narrates - he's a very empathetic young man. Protective of the brother who can't easily defend himself, he's also aware of what's missing for them both at home, and of the potential for both lucre and jeopardy.
At only 100 pages, the novella fits a lot in - home life, brotherly relationships, some action on the water, and a perfectly judged ending that left a smile on my face.
I love McGowan's writing and handling of his protagonists. He cares for them, you can see it. The gritty nature of their lives and surroundings is also vividly portrayed, and I could read instalment after instalment about their future lives and their family.
Excellent choice for secondary school libraries and English classes. Accessible text and short chapters, a lot of issues for discussion.
With thanks to the publisher for providing a sample reading copy.
Part of a collection of novellas by Anthony McGowan (awarded the Carnegie for one of the titles), each brings a snippet of the lives of two teenager brothers and adds an animal character as a catalyst for a plot.
Pike gives us the two, with slower elder brother Kenny looked after by the younger, smarter Nicky. We've met them before. Working class, with a struggling dad and lack of resources, a fishing trip that nearly ends with an accident leads them to discovering something that could bring them unexpected wealth.
But of course, nothing is ever free, and a body in the water may bring its own dangers to them.
Nicky narrates - he's a very empathetic young man. Protective of the brother who can't easily defend himself, he's also aware of what's missing for them both at home, and of the potential for both lucre and jeopardy.
At only 100 pages, the novella fits a lot in - home life, brotherly relationships, some action on the water, and a perfectly judged ending that left a smile on my face.
I love McGowan's writing and handling of his protagonists. He cares for them, you can see it. The gritty nature of their lives and surroundings is also vividly portrayed, and I could read instalment after instalment about their future lives and their family.
Excellent choice for secondary school libraries and English classes. Accessible text and short chapters, a lot of issues for discussion.
With thanks to the publisher for providing a sample reading copy.
June 21, 2023
"Until you're dead, there's always a chance you can make things a bit less shit."
Anthony McGowen, Pike
The second instalment in this beautifully crafted series from Anthony McGowen. Maybe I'm partial because I'm from Leeds, but I don't think so, this was bliss to read.
An ordinary family, properly ordinary, with its own real challenges and nuances. Its moving to watch Nicky and Kenny navigate their lives as boys who don't have all the answers, but boys with empathy and an eagerness to do what's right. I don't think it's unrealistic to see these children as behaving with a strong moral compass, I think kids often do move from their heart and want to be good, the tricky part is figuring it all out, turning feelings into action. It's so refreshing to see complex families in such a wonderfully normal way, a family that has been through something, that has struggled, but is finding its own way with support from each other. Seeing Nicky and Kenny too, process their emotions and think things through is really striking, I feel like I know these kids and am entirely rooting for them. A gift!
Anthony McGowen, Pike
The second instalment in this beautifully crafted series from Anthony McGowen. Maybe I'm partial because I'm from Leeds, but I don't think so, this was bliss to read.
An ordinary family, properly ordinary, with its own real challenges and nuances. Its moving to watch Nicky and Kenny navigate their lives as boys who don't have all the answers, but boys with empathy and an eagerness to do what's right. I don't think it's unrealistic to see these children as behaving with a strong moral compass, I think kids often do move from their heart and want to be good, the tricky part is figuring it all out, turning feelings into action. It's so refreshing to see complex families in such a wonderfully normal way, a family that has been through something, that has struggled, but is finding its own way with support from each other. Seeing Nicky and Kenny too, process their emotions and think things through is really striking, I feel like I know these kids and am entirely rooting for them. A gift!
March 29, 2021
I think this book was fun and easy to read, but the story was a little dark. 'Pike' is about 2 boys who are brothers, named Nicky and Kenny. They were going out for fishing in Bacon Pond when Nicky found a golden Rolex watch. When he saw it, he wasn't able to ignore it. The next day, he went on to find the watch with Kenny. However Bacon Pond was deep, and there were pikes living on it, so it was very dangerous. Nicky and Kenny got the watch and nearly drowned, but they were saved in the last moment, and later, it turned out that thee Rolex watch was made in China, and it was fake. The reason I said the story was dark was because Nicky's family were poor, and the two boys jumped into the lake to get the Rolex watch, and repay their debt. I think it's sad for us to see that poor people sometimes can do anything to earn money for their debt. But even though the story was dark, it was mostly interesting.
March 14, 2016
Such a great follow-up to the equally great read 'Brock' (with a bit less violence)! Once again, really enjoyed the interaction between the brothers and the realism of the setting. It's refreshing to get a working class family represented without judgment or a sense of being 'saved' by middle class values. This is one I'm definitely recommending, especially - but not exclusively - to less confident or less keen readers. Great example of a 'dyslexia friendly' read, with shaded pages, short chapters and approachable font.
August 13, 2015
Having read a fair few of the dyslexia friendly texts, I believe that Anthony McGowan's writing is incredibly strong. He has the wonderful ability to complete a story with few words, without leaving his readers feeling deprived of detail, creating shallow characters or losing dramatic tension. His depiction of a working class family feels honest and real.
Pike is the sequel to 'Brock' (#stringerbigsummerread) and it felt good to be reacquainted with Nicky and Kenny again.
Pike is the sequel to 'Brock' (#stringerbigsummerread) and it felt good to be reacquainted with Nicky and Kenny again.
January 12, 2021
Nicky and Kenny are back again. Wanting to do a wrong thing for a right reason, and realising that when things don't go as planned and they've had a few brushes with real fear and, nearly, death by drowning/hypothermia. Everything comes right in the end, with a heartwarming spin in the tail (a reward for having taken the right path?) Great YA read.
December 1, 2021
Another one testing for school. This was surprisingly good. I'm starting to get invested in the characters of these books 😂
October 8, 2023
Dear Heavens these books, about Nicky and his brother Kenny, are excellent. Simply excellent.
June 13, 2025
Yet another enjoyable novella that follows the adventures of brothers Nicky and Kenny. I love that Kenny really steps up as the big brother here (something I didn't find obvious in the other books).
This is Book 2 but I read it last and it didn't leave me as emotional as its counterparts, did but the ending was perfect.
This is Book 2 but I read it last and it didn't leave me as emotional as its counterparts, did but the ending was perfect.
February 4, 2025
Do you like fish? This book is about a fish that lives in an oily dirty pond that fish live in. This book has some swear words some older content and it has a pike that are the main part of this book.
April 19, 2018
Follow up to Brock, it's not as good TBH. Im currently reading the third but only because it's on this year's Carnegie shortlist.
March 20, 2021
2.5 stars.
June 19, 2024
I just can't get enough of Nicky and Kenny! Highly recommend!
October 24, 2025
Leggero, veloce, preciso
December 23, 2025
Nice little book and a clever little story. The characters were great and the story was very clever.
December 29, 2025
il ritrovamento del cadavere nel lago con l' orologio
June 26, 2025
barrystoke challenge: twas a good one, didn't hit the feels. needed more dead body
December 4, 2024
This book had some parts of scary scenes and some wholesome scenes and had some events that had happen but were bad events. This book is really good if you like spooky or scary books.
August 7, 2016
3.5 stars
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April 3, 2018it felt boring and rushed but for a simple quick read I adored the book. It seems like something I would pick up when I didn't want to think (which is how I feel a lot) and wanted to feel at home.
The characters were amazing and I fell in love with them, the had a rich history and it showed throughout the novel. These aren't half-baked people these are people with flaws and successes. Everyone felt real, that is the best thing in the book.
The characters were amazing and I fell in love with them, the had a rich history and it showed throughout the novel. These aren't half-baked people these are people with flaws and successes. Everyone felt real, that is the best thing in the book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews