CLASH

by Colin Mulhern

CLASH is the story of two boys, each with a particular talent. Kyle has a talent for art. Alex has a talent for violence. Alex trained as a cagefighter for the entertainment of local criminals. This is something he excels at, right up until the night he witnesses a murder. Things fall apart for Alex, and he loses control. Trapped, he seeks out Kyle, the one person he has any respect for. For Kyle, this is every nightmare come true. Kyle has his own problems and the last thing he needs is a psychopath hounding him. He’s terrified of Alex and wants rid of him, fast. But boys can play dangerous games when they’re scared, and Kyle’s plan goes from bad to disastrous.

Two boys - Two stories - One way Collision course.

“A powerful, shocking and intense novel. Mulhern delivers the story like one of Alex’s punches – his style is direct and raw.” – Armadillo Magazine.

“Clash is like a hard punch in the guts – in a good way!” - Anthony McGowan.

209 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 26, 2015

About the author

Colin Mulhern is the author of Young Adult novels, Arabesque and Clash.

He lives in the north-east where he works as a teaching assistant in a primary school.

Reviews

[Richard Sutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Mulhern had me at page one and didn't let go. This is a riveting story of young men, coming of age. It's rare for me to find stories of teenage boys whose writing voice is so authentic, I lose myself entirely. But the author has done a phenomenal job. Mulhern's use of alternating First Person narrative and active, engaging dialog is very effective. Friends may not be exactly the ones you choose, and even then, they may not display their true loyalty in ways you immediately understand. Raised in very different families, the main characters circle each other warily throughout. Often, the actions of your parents affect you in ways you can't truly grasp until it comes to a matter of choices or fear. Decisions can force a young person to take inventory. In this case, a terrible accident forces them to come to real terms with their actions and with their definitions of respect. I recommend this both to teen young men and to their parents who may have forgotten how hard those years are.