Violence 101

by Denis Wright

Through mesmerizing journal entries, Violence 101 paints a disturbing yet utterly compelling picture of an extremely bright, extremely misguided adolescent who must navigate a world that encourages aggressive behavior at every turn.

Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Adventure, Contemporary, Teen

180 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2008

About the author

Denis Wright , Honorary Fellow of St. Edmund Hall and St. Antony’s College, Oxford, was British Ambassador in Iran from 1963-1971.

Reviews

[Nomes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Confession: I would not normally be drawn to a book with this title/cover. So when it rocked up I wasn't too sure it would be my thing.

But, mate: it was insanely compelling, fascinating and just, ugh, I LOVED it.

I read it within two sittings.

It is a New Zealand YA book ~ released in NZ in 2007, and just now released in Australia.

It's the story of one fourteen year old New Zealand boy ~ who is transferred to yet another juvenile detention centre.

He's not a troubled kid with a sad past. He's a mini genius from a good home. A very violent mini genius. Being in his head is completely riveting: from the way he thinks to the things he loves and admires and seeing why he did some of the outrageous and horrifying things he did.

He is the sort of kid that could grow up to be Dexter (from Jeff Lindsay's books, now made into a TV show).

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It was amusing. Okay, and a tad horrifying...
Absolutely.
I read it wide-eyed, smirking in parts, stunned in others.

Hamish relates his story in journal entries, and he's a precocious, intelligent little thing ~ there's a great sense of humour in there. Smattered among the journal entries is a present day narrative which includes staff meetings (from an omnipresent POV) and Hamish's life unfolding in the correctional facility. The staff so amused me. The author is a high school teacher, and he nails that dynamic of different staff members grating against one another with differing strong opinions. Funny stuff, hey.

As the story unfolds, Hamish relates different violent episodes from his childhood and each one is equal parts horrifying and intriguing, but above all, original. I don't want to give away spoilers, but some of the acts he did ~ whoa, they were creative and stunning and intelligent. Also, completely mad, yet utterly logical to him.

He's not formally diagnosed in the book, but he's some kind of sociopathic genius. He has delusions of grandeur and a strong sense of honour and justice. He sees the world differently to the rest of us.

There's clues along the way and a perfectly paced unveiling of some of Hamish's crimes ~ which include his most famous crime: manslaughter at the age of ten. As the story hurtles along I kept wondering where it was headed and there's a sense that anything could happen, an undercurrent of dread and suspense.

So... the climax. It was a bit wild (okay, I chuckled a little, incredulously). It made for some great drama and I loved the direction the story took ~ but (sorry to be cryptic) when a certain character appeared, I found it a little incredulous and dramatic for my tastes. It still didn't stop me from enjoying it though.

It's well written and compelling and I am thrilled this book has been imported from New Zealand with and Aussie publisher. It is also available internationally. It's a fascinating and strong addition to the New Zealand YA scene.

I absolutely recommend this book: To anyone who is fascinated by psychology and the human mind, to reluctant readers, and especially boys. Even though it is YA, it is a book that will easily be appreciated and enjoyed by adults (my husbands got it on his bedside table to read next).

Bonus stuff:
Hamish has heroes who he aims to live up to. He's obsessed with them: Alexander the Great, Sir Robert Falcon Scott (Scottish explorer), prison escape artists, Joan of Arc, Hitler gets a mention, Charles Upham, Te Rauparaha (New Zealand warrior) and other historically fascinating characters are sprinkled throughout the book. It's like little pockets of intrigue weaved into the story ~ like reading the engrossing stuff out of a Guiness Book of Records ~ it's an engrossing look at some violent and impressive heroes from the past.

At 174 pages, Violence 101 packs a lot of punch. I devoured it and so enjoyed it. It's a perfect length for a riveting story.


Quote: He (Alexander the Great) was probably responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths, some historians say 750, 000. And how is he remembered today? Alexander the Brutal? Alexander the Freak? Alexander the Sadistic Psycho? No way - he is simply referred to as Alexander the Great. How do you think he would get on today? I think he'd get a hard time like me, and be regarded as a dangerous lunatic.

[India · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super enjoyable read! Hamish is such an interesting character. He is violent (obviously) but he has real charm that makes him such a likeable kid. I loved reading his diary entries, especially in the first half of the book. I would have given this 5 stars, but I didn’t particularly enjoy the second part of the story. The car ride with Trev didn’t really hook me in but that was the only bit I wasn’t too fond of. Overall, a really good story though

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

First-time novel for NZ teacher and writer, I read this for a panel on violence in YA literature I chaired at the 2011 Reading Matters conference in Melbourne. It's a fascinating insight into the mind of a highly intelligent teenage boy with a deep reverence—and proclivity—for violence. Wright revealed during the panel that his (NZ?) publisher felt his ending was too bleak and required changes, and that he is not happy with the revised ending. Wright is working on a sequel, which I'll be really interested to read, as he's clearly a writer of some insight and power.

[Charlie Hirst · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a boy in New Zealand called who is really smart and violent. It is written from his point of view and it's very freaky to see the way he uses his of thinking to make sense of his actions which is pretty interesting. I think he was at a special school for kids with issues. Hamish seems to be pretty weird and disturbed, the author could possibly have something to do with this by speaking about true stories, the author is Denis Wright and what iv read so far its pretty good

[Anthony Eaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hamish Graham, the central character of this book by New Zealand author Denis Wright, is a masterful creation, in many ways. He's utterly untrustworthy, brilliant, eloquent, horribly manipulative, and - for the most part at least - downright evil.

He's too young for prison, but too dangerous to be permitted to remain at large in the community, so he's confined to a series of boy's homes, where the staff struggle to manage him, despite their best intentions.

Wright has written this book for 14 - 16 year old boys, and my feeling is that he's pretty much hit his target square on. There are a few reasonably confronting scenes and images, but given the title of the book, that's to be expected, and it's always carefully contextualised and never gratutious. And despite the title, the central idea which drives the book forward isn't the depiction of violence, but rather the question of how much you as a reader can trust anything which Hamish tells you. His version of events and the reality of his situation regularly collide, and the reader is left to draw their own conclusions as to what's in the gap between the two.

My only minor criticism of the book was that I found the ending just a little too convenient and the outcome in terms of the character just a little unconvincing. But I'm reading this from an adult standpoint, and I have a feeling that the readership implied by this novel would probably feel differently.

Well worth reading.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be honest, this is not the sort of book that I would ever choose to read voluntarily. I had to read it as its an option for the English program at my school, which I co-teach, and its read by a few boys every year, so I need to be able to help them to respond to it. So I am not the natural audience for this book, and maybe its a bit unfair to review it. But Here I Am, because you can't love everything.

Not well written, the dialogue of this novel is pretty amateurish and both dialogue and writing style are pretty lecturing at times. I think the denoument is pretty unbelievable, and the dialogue in that is really contrived.
But it is an attempt to put something together for boys who don't really want to read, and this is surely a concept worthy of merit. But lecturing your readers on the one hand, (expecting them to read chunks of text about historical heroes) and having a whingeing, conceited main character on the other doesn't really cut it for me, and I tend to think that most of the boys who choose this book as the best option for their Literature Circles program might have left it unfinished.
At the end of the day, our wild child Hamish does appear to be a bit redeemed, if you believe it, and I do appreciate that, despite his outrageous deeds, Wright does manage to make him seem somehow not all bad.
Contains a lot of maori terms and place names, which might limit the audience a bit.

[Finn Campbell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book because my mum gave it to me and told me I had to read it.

This book fits on the bingo board in the section "a book written by a New Zealander" This was made quite obvious by the use of kiwi slang and a NZ setting.

A good quote from this book is "these people are all incredibly boring and stupid."

Something I learned from this book is adults that think that they can write a book from the perspective of a teenager are dreaming. I didn't like this book because the main character was boring, uninteresting and arrogant.

I thought the most interesting character in the book was the main character and this says a lot about the other characters. Overall a big waste of time and energy reading this. The character was smart, but not in a way that hooked me, and having him as the narrator, made the story quite irritating.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is compelling beautiful, and reveals the violence in all of us. Hamish Graham, has much to say about the world, but he sees everything through a violent lense. When Hamish is at the mercy of the world and his loyal companions, he realizes that that is what it feels like to have violence inflicted on us, with no signs of remorse from the aggressor.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This New Zealand import is quite a dark and gripping read with a fascinating main character. The positive resolution of the story, however, is a bit of a cop out given that it seems quite clear that he is a sociopath.

[Addie LeMaster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the entire thing!!

[Emma Plomp · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great story showing that not all violent boys are dumb and ignorant, there are some who know alot more than you.

[cpc · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the book! I was first attracted by the cover which surprised me as I am usually more interested in dystopian books. it had some really interesting ideas in it and it shows how illogical people perspectives can be, although it did also show me how determination and the right person can be virtually indestructible. I am 15 so I found that the age was perfect because I can relate to the character (even though I'm a girl I still really enjoyed the book and found I could relate to it even though the main character is a boy) the book was amazing and I would highly recommend it. if you liked this book you might also like the monument 14 series, although it is definitely more in the dystopian genre.

[Miss Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a text which raises the questions 'what is a hero?' and 'how do you best treat boys with a proclivity for violence as well as a fragile mental state? I guess Hamish Graham wants to be a hero himself given his infatuation with idols Alexander the Great, Charles Upham, and Te Rauparaha. The problem is, they lived in a different time. The text toggles between his perspective shown in his journal/diary entries and the staff at the centre. This text leaves me with these questions: where was Neighbourhood Support when Hamish was on one of his various exploits? What was at the heart of his anger problem? It's interesting that this text is often suggested for struggling readers when the chapters are very long.

[Caitlin Funk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I consumed this book, which is unusual for me. It’s been a while since I’ve finished a book in only one sitting. Just goes to show how fast-paced and intriguing this novel is. I am fascinated by the way Hamish explains the concept of truth and how he recounts events throughout.

Only 4 stars because the ending just didn’t feel right. Strange for a book that is so in the material and present, but let me know what you think!

[Tanja · Rating 2 out of 5]

Klar, ich bin nicht Zielgruppe (YA, grob 12-16 Jahre) dieses Buches, aber das war trotz des interessanten Themas arg "underwhelming". Mich ließ die ganze Zeit das Gefühl nicht los, dass der Autor nicht nur seine Leserschaft unterschätzt, sondern sich das auch auf seinen Protagonisten überträgt. Schade.

[Holly Lambert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved how true and realistic the first part of the book is...Hamish provides real insight into mental illness. However, the 2nd part of the book wasn't as clear to me. Overall, a quick and decent read.

[Alicia Huxtable · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!! I couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting. Denis Wright has written such a compelling story. Hamish is a character that has you turning every page wanting to know more about this kid.
Fantastic!!!!

[Kylie Kilmartin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review here - https://mrskreadsbooks.wordpress.com/...

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an easy and enjoyable book. The second half goes in unexpected places.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, I thought this was great and unusual.

A debut novel published by a New Zealand author. Words like devastating are used to describe it and comparisons are drawn to Clockwork Orange and In Cold Blood. This did not thrill me, for while I do not dispute the greatness of those two novels, I couldn't stand to finish either of them. Thankfully I found Violence 101 entirely different.

In Cold Blood and Clockwork Orange compel the reader to desensitize themselves to violence and to participate in violence as entertainment. Both books explore or hint at, or roll in, a sexualization of violence. I don't remember finding either Clockwork Orange or In Cold Blood funny, at all.

I think Violence 101 is hilarious in parts. The 14 year old protagonist, Hamish, is clearly disturbed and violent. He has caused manslaughter and killed a handful of animals. He compulsive and controlling and very bright. He is also an extremely accurate observer, very scientific, romantic and desirous of earning his own esteem. He wants to measure up to his own pantheon of greats, Ghengis Khan, Alexander the Great, Charles Upham and Te Rauparaha. (A plus, the book exposes us to New Zealand and Maori culture. Some complain the terms are unfamiliar, but context provides clues and there is a glossary at the back. On top of that, one of the sweetest elements in the story is Hamish's love for learning, specifically new words a counselor inserts into their conversation.)

I recognized this boy and sympathized with him. There are chunks of Hamish in many competition starved adolescent boys I know. I empathized with his desire to be challenged, to be part of a culture that values excellence and bravery. I admired his scientific curiosity. Absolutely he is disturbed and dangerous and filled with vanity and rage. I sure as heck wouldn't let him play with my kids or pets. Yet, boy is he a touchstone that helps expose the boatloads of hypocrisy and incoherent sanctimony we slop on our young men. (This book can speak to girls too, I loved it, but it is primarily for boys, and I imagine will be most welcome.) It beautifully exposes the banal triggers of rage and alienation. (I remember my own son frothing with rage about the high grades awarded to girls use of glitter pens and soft-hearted imaginary scientific solutions in his elementary school Science Fair.) It gives countless examples of adults failing to see the contradiction of asking a child to respect what the adult values and thinks, while explicitly telling the child that what the child values and thinks is of no interest to the adult. Cheeringly there are multiple, and very different, male role models who reach Hamish. They are brave, they manage their own egos and they too are good observers.

This is an entertaining and valuable parable. It is disturbing and their is violence, so it is not for the under twelve set. The writing is stiff and there is some sloppy editing. (That is, unless 'to' substitutes for 'from'in New Zealand vernacular.) I can't wait to read what Denis Wright next writes.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

First 3/4: 4.5-5 stars
Last 1/4: 3.5 stars

Few books have left me feeling quite so divided as "Violence 101." For the first 100ish pages of this short, gripping novel, I was sucked in by Hamish Graham's chilly, compelling and utterly unique voice. I would still urge anyone who loves their YA with a little edge or spice to read this, because it's a magical book about a teenage sociopath. Hamish is no abused boy from a broken home: he's simply a super smart boy from a good, middle-class home who does very violent things for what are utterly logical, reasonable and terrifying reasons. He is unclouded by emotion or doubt; he's one of those very frightening characters who wouldn't cut someone open because they got off on it, but just to see what would happen. Hamish's deeds, horrific though they are, are given a simply brilliant spin by Wright. Hamish is unapologetic, brutal and I just loved it. I'd also be lying if I said a little part of me didn't love Hamish, too. This is simply a writer and reader's joy to read: a triumph of dark imagination, a perfectly-realised, realistic and gripping voice. There is a certain grim fascination to be had with Hamish's violent behaviour, too. They are incredibly creative and very darkly funny. I found myself laughing out loud at certain parts, and then flipping the pages, wide-eyed and horrified.

But that hits on what is good about "Violence 101": the character study. I love wild twists and turns, but when Hamish ran away from the New Horizons institution (where he is being kept for his brutal crimes), it is interestingly unrestrained by the rules that might keep other YA writers, but it loses focus on the most fascinating aspect of the novel - Hamish - and, despite his momentous development near the end, it all feels a little half-baked and glossed over and, yep, even though Hamish spells out for us that this is not a neat-bow ending, it still feels a little easy. There is a lack of direct dialogue between Hamish and an important character, Trev; while I generally thought the first- and third-person POVs were excellently balanced, creating a really superb ambiguity for the first half of the book (is Hamish really manipulating everyone? Could he even be manipulating the audience? dun dun dun), in the second half of the novel, third-person POV becomes too dominant, which causes Hamish's epiphanies to feel forced and sudden. Also, what dialogue there is feels stagey and unrealistic, especially between the fitness teacher and Victor. There is also a lack of any kind of description or scene-setting, which makes the sudden change in tone even more jarring.

However, this is a brilliant YA book, full of dark humour and with one of the best main characters I've ever read, behind which a black heart beats occasionally.

[Marita Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Past: My thirteen-year-old daughter came home with this book today and as soon as it said it was set in Manukau I knew I was going to read it, because my book is set in the same part of Auckland. It also follows very troubled teenagers and tackles other issues relating to this locale.

Present: Although I did enjoy this book, I'm obviously not the target audience as this is clearly written with teenagers in mind. Unlike some of the reviews I saw, I didn't find it harsh or intense at all, but instead rather tame. But this is because it has to be due to the age group in mind, which I'd set for 12-16 year olds. This is not only because of the main character's age, but also in relation to the learning aspects seen in the main character's fascination with certain historical figures such as Alexander the Great, Charles Upham, and so forth. Although I liked this, at times it was slightly too much, taking me out of the story on the occassion where the character's fascination was overrun with the author's desire to teach. But, then again, my daughter bought this at school, so one has to keep in mind "Violence 101" isn't just a story but also a lesson for its target audience.

In relation to the main character, I found him quite interesting. Hamish Green, is psychologically up the whop, his detached demeanour and violent tendancies amusing at times. He's not like the average boy in this type of modern day borstal. He's been brought up by average, but caring parents, and nothing in his past shows the cause of his wrong doings. Instead, it's inherent in his character. And, it was because of him that I read to the end, along with the location.

I think the story was largely character based as the plot was not strong. And the ending was also not very strong as, with the exception of Victor turning up, it was largely predictable. Also, there was a bit of headhopping in the last part on the mountains, which also weakend this section. If this headhopping was done throughout the book, then maybe it would've been alright, but it popped up suddenly and was a distraction from the story.

But given this, I still liked the book, and I don't think teenagers will pull up the same points as I would. Instead, my review is more relevant for adult readers. I think my daughter will like the historical aspects as she also likes Alexander the Great and Charles Upham. So, hopefully she will review it too as she's also a member of Goodreads.

In relation to the rating, I decided on a 3 to a 3 1/2, as I liked the ideas in the book, but unlike my favourite stories I could put it down.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hamish is a very smart boy, who happens to have very violent tendencies. New Horizons is his third home for violent offenders. On his first day he viciously attacks one of the top dogs of this new home. This establishes him as some one not to mess with. This story is his story. Told in alternating viewpoints between Hamish's journal and a third person narration this tale is one of a boy who is too smart and too violent for his own good.

This is going to be a hard review to write, because even still a little over a week after reading this, I'm not sure what my overall opinion of this book is. I thought it was a beautiful and intriguing look into the mind of an intelligent but violent child. Hamish Graham has the mind of a serial killer, honestly. He thinks things through very logically, but his logic concludes that he is making the right choices. Who is to say that in the grand scheme of things he isn't? This book is not for the squeamish. Some parts were horrifyingly disturbing and it was so strange thinking that these actions were that of a young boy. It was also really interesting reading how Hamish can self-analyze his actions and realize that some of his choices were probably not the best ones. There were a couple of editing mistakes that irked me, but they happen I guess. Some of the New Zealand slang I didn't know, but luckily there is a glossary in the back. If you are really into reading about the human psyche then make sure you pick up this book. It was very, very interesting and I am glad I read it even if it was disturbing. I did hate the ending though. It was out of character and unrealistic. I was okay with Hamish deciding to climb a mountain, but the heroics were just over the top. If you read it I'm sure you'll know what I mean. Other than the end though this was an interesting novel and perfect if you are fascinated by the subject matter. Although I did like it I doubt I will read it again, it's not a light read and it stays with you long after you've finished.

First Line:
"The management staff of Manukau New Horizons Boys' Home waited in a cramped office and fidgeted."

Favorite Line:
"Mind you, if I was a judge, I think I would probably ban me from owning pets too."

[maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recently went on a little mini vacation to Vancouver for a cousin's wedding. While on a random walking adventure I came across a Chapters store. Not exactly a landmark, but I can't resist walking into a book store whenever I see one, no matter where in the world I am. I usually tend to purchase books online instead of in-store nowadays because it is cheaper, so when I do happen to walk into a location, I head straight for the sale section. That's where I happened to come across Violence 101.

In a time where every young adult book has borderline the exact same front cover and description, Violence 101 stood out. I know you aren't supposed to judge a book by it's cover, but you can tell when a book is going to be another dystopian love story and that is just not what I'm into at the moment. Violence 101 was definitely not in the same genre and you could tell instantly.

I read the description and a couple of the author/media review blurbs on the back and for the sale price that it was at I thought why not?

I found the writing style a little hard to enjoy. When reading from the main character's (Hamish) perspective, I found the writing style to be very sophisticated and smart, but as soon as it was from the teacher's point of view, the writing went a little south for me.

Overall, this book is definitely worth checking out, especially if you are looking for something a little different to read in the young adult/teen department.

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Through the first 2/3rds of this book, I thought it was going to be a 5-star read for sure. Yes, it is quite disturbing at points, but I couldn't stop reading it and found the main character, 14 year old juvenile delinquent Hamish, to be fascinating. But then I finished it today, and the ending seemed a little rushed and unrealistic. But still, it's definitely worth the time to read it! It's set in New Zealand which can make it a tiny bit hard to follow with the culture-specific language, etc., but there is a helpful glossary in the back of the book. The parts of the story I liked best were the journal entries Hamish made as part of his therapy at a home for male teen criminals. He's been in trouble his whole life, basically, and when he tells his story, you will know why. He's done some awful things. What makes the book so interesting is his theories and ideas about why he acts the way he does. He is basically smarter than 99% of people and has an undying love and admiration for violent, strong heroes from the past, such as Alexander the Great. (Most of his other heroes are specific to New Zealand but no less interesting!) He makes a good point that someone like Alexander the Great, if living today, would probably be labeled a lunatic, too. There is much to think about here, some interesting psychology, and overall a really strong story.

[Ashley Haynes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a very intriguing main character. Hamish is funny and smart, but also very self serving. He did a lot of things out of childish curiously that he backed up by saying it was for some form of research.
I enjoyed reading this. It was a short book and an easy read, leaving me satisfied at the end of each chapter. The other characters in the book were all equally interesting and I enjoyed how the author dove into their back stories at times. Though I found it distracting from the main plot at times, it was also very useful in discovering what the people around Hamish were like.
The authors knowledge about the novels setting was fantastic and he had great diction that made the characters believable.
I would recommend this book to young adults, those interested in history, and those who judge without thinking why. Well written book from start to finish. The on,y reason I put it as 3 stars is due to the fact that I found it at times distracting(Hamish likes to go off on tangents), and it was written for a younger audience than my 20 years. :)

[Najwa Warraich · Rating 2 out of 5]

so as a child and youth worker I was extremely compelled to pick up a book on a 14 year old boy who has anger issues. I myself have worked with a few of those such boys. now, the first part of this book was great - I loved the whole arriving to this new facility and meeting all the workers and getting to understand our main character through his journal entries. but then, the second part of the book happened and no spoiler here but WTF?! I was just flabbergasted at how our character went from a boy in a correctional facility to a boy on an epic adventure and I know the reasons were included but the transition between the two storylines was awful. I gave this a 2.5/5 stars being highly highly dissapointed with the ending. Denis Wright you had a fantastic storyline but just butchered it with this ending. sighh.

[Pam Saunders · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hamish is highly intelligent, highly violent, highly obssessed with Alexander the Great and he is totally out of control, esp when angry and the white noise starts in his head. He is also highly manipulative. Hamish is in yet another boys junenile detention centre where he finds himself challenged by the 'top dog' and again being anyalysised by the staff. This time he meets people who have the potential to become his real heros.

Not a read for everyone but secondary boys will find the characters and some of the action familiar. This would be a wonderful alternative text for teen boys.

Certainly it has some violent scenes but it is in context and even wimpy me was OK reading them.

[Leah · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's great that the author has a message but you do also need, like, a plot. And at least one character that is not a cipher.

I gave up 23 pages in. This includes the forward. The forward that explained the one dimension of the one-dimensional main character: He is a smart teenage boy with anger issues expressed through violence, too often dismissed as socio- or psycho-pathic, and identifies with historical smart violent people.

Maybe if I were a smart angry teenage boy I'd have liked it. Out of curiosity, I'll be skimming reviews to see. But I kinda think that if I were a smart angry teenage boy this patronizing "look who understands you! This author!" book would, well, make me violent.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Violence 101 is a book about a brilliant teenager named Hamish who has extreme anger anger issues. He is very self-reflective, but the blurb on this website says he is "extremely misguided". The blurb is not entirely correct. The blurb is correct that Hamish believes that violence is an answer to life's problems, which he does. The thing is, Hamish does not just chose to be violent for fun. He uses violence to end problems (Which does not make it okay). He does not just walk up to people and punch them for fun, and he has a very interesting philosophy behind violence. He believes that he would be an excellent battle commander, and he is probably right.