The Tell

by Martin Ed Chatterton

Rey Tanic is not like other 14 year olds. His dad is a mafia boss. His dad is also in jail. When Rey’s life explodes, every decision he makes will shape the rest of his life. How far does the apple really fall from the tree?

Action, crime and intense family drama combine to create a powerful story in the vein of Two Wolves or a young Boy Swallows Universe.

Genres: Family, Suspense, Young Adult

288 pages, Paperback

First published April 28, 2020

About the author

Martin Ed Chatterton was born in Liverpool, England, and attended art college in London. He has worked successfully in the publishing and design industry for thirty years. He is the author of more than thirty-five books and the illustrator of lots more. He lives sometimes in Australia and sometimes in the UK.

www.edchatterton.com

Reviews

[amali 💐 · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a pretty good book, but i also feel like nothing actually happened?? maybe i was just really tired when i read it lol. also why did candy and raze’s thing go nowhere 😔

[Mads · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all i probs wouldn’t have picked this book up if i didn’t have to read it for a competition and take notes

PRETTY MUCH A WHOLE RECAP OF THE BOOK AND IN DEPTH DETAIL SO SPOILER ALRET

pages 0-100 recap
Rey (raze) Candy and Ids, are 3 kids who go around spray painting the town of Sydney. The problem is Rey’s father is mafia boss Dejan Tanic, with his older brother Solo and bodyguard Fiji also being in the mafia. on the first prison visit after a month Rey works up the courage to tell his dad he doesn’t want to follow in footsteps, and he is surprisingly cool about it. later in the car fiji had a tell and agreed to get sushi + Solo was acting odd so Rey knew something was up. Dejan was arrested for his crimes and early on escapes and since the police thought the family was involved took them all in for questioning, fiji and Solo knew it was going to happen. when they got a lawyer the ma and Rey was let out but the brother Solo got out whilst he could and whereabouts is currently unknown. Ever since then the Tanic house is under lock down and the whole house is bugged so that the police can track every conversation, whereabouts and their phones. Candy (who’s dad is the chief police officer) has been AWOL while all of this has been happening but that’s because her father broke her phone so she wouldn’t have contact with Rey, we also find out the chief is possibly hurting candy when she comes to school with a blue eye and Rey confronts her. Rey and Candy are dating but no, and she kisses him to welcome him back. Ids visits the Tanic household after the whole thing but as he arrives people start to attack with guns the house and, fiji was shot in the back whilst ids, rey and ma are hiding whilst being under attack of persistent bullets
page 99-200
fiji survived but is in an induced coma. whilst getting his stitches treated Candy comes to the hospital when she’s not supposed to, to visit Rey and whilst she’s there gives a note to Rey about from Solo saying to go to Lenton. which rey does. once he gets there he sees his brothers warehouse with all his cars and equipment for the mafia. he then retrieves a important hard drive and stays overnight in lenton warehouse as the cops are tracking him. the next morning he drives to a beach, and goes for a surf and meets solo in the middle of the ocean further out so the cops can’t see him but not too far that he can’t get back. solo tells him that everything’s being handled and that dad is glad his safe. rey gets annoyed that he’s kept in the dark but understands. he gets told the i formation on the hard drive could kill him so he gives it to Solo. Solo then gets picked up in a submarine. that’s the last time rey sees him alive. on the way back home rey feels as though he is being followed and his suspicions were right when he pulled over and jumped out and hid and five minutes later a car pulled over inspected the ford and left. when he goes back to corrigan the sullivans (the ones in charge of the shooting) were there and there was a big fire to the house and inside of the fire was his sketchbook. he heads to a place and has a long shower so if someone found him they wouldn’t know he was crying. the next day ids finds him and tells him the reason for the sullivans was because they’re house was burnt down to presumably by Dejan.
After, candy sends an emergency message to go to her house and once they get there they see that her dad has beaten her up and she explained that he thinks she is spying on him because she’s Rey’s friends. someone stops her dad before he can go to far and she tells Rey and Ids that she thinks it was Dejan but isn’t sure. she then shows them a hidden room in the house that her parents don’t know of and offer Rey to stay there so that the cops dont find where he is and he can stay safe. candy comes in and tells him Solo washed up on shore dead. candy and rey go and get coffee and when rey goes to the bathroom there are 2 people dea don the floor and his dad their, he claims to be following him to keep him safe, but rey doesn’t want to listen and when Dejan tells him to go with him he says no and runs away. Candys father is getting worse towards her. Rey goes off to find his father to set things straight
page 200-280
when he arrives to his dads secret headquarters. he straight up says to turn himself in. his dad screams and nearly throws him off a balcony but doesn’t and says i love you instead. Rey walks out with a new plan to take down everyone. he heads to Solos old warehouse and takes his anger on his family out on one of the lambourginis in the warehouse screaming about how it was paid with dirty money. Candy and Ids join in. Rey sets up cameras and microphones around Candys house and finds out his dad and the candys cop dad are planning to work together and bomb a busy place just to kill one of their arch nemesis Jonjo Sullivan. Candy Ids and Rey all head to the place of the bombing and set off the fire alarm to get everyone evacuate and succeed with only 23 getting slightly injured but not seriously. When they get back to candys their is a meeting going on with Sullivan, Dejan and Candys dad talking about how much they’re gonna get from killing people. since it’s on tape Candy rey and ids show the tape at the opera house and expose them all. They drive off and live happily ever after and leave their old life behind

overall this was an ok book. i never would’ve read it if i didn’t have to read and recap it for a competition. it wasn’t the worst so i can’t really complain. their are a lot of plot holes too it and it wasn’t all to interesting but it was a quick read so it’s not like i wasted too much time on it

[molly (ง •_•)ง · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually liked this book more than I thought I would. It has pulled me out of my reading slump.
There were so many jaw-dropping plot-twists that I did not see coming. And the twists just kept coming and coming and coming. One after the other. Barely any time to recover before the next one hits. I'm not ashamed to admit that it made me cry...more than once...for more than one different reason. It was a bit slow for me to get into but after a certain point, I could not put it down.
Overall, I really liked it and would recommend it. I think it deserves more hype. I'd never seen it before now and I'm glad I read it.

[Dimity Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Raze is a young teen with a pedigree heritage. His dad is a feared mafia boss and convicted felon. His older brother is keen to pursue an unlawful way of life; it pays tremendous dividends in the form of big booties after all. Being the son of such notoriety does not come without some major conflicts. For Raze, aka Rey Tanic, life is a continuous violent clash between his criminal family's expectations of him and his desire to break free from them and live a life less outlawed. More normal and honest.

He tries his determined best to keep his head down at school and is fortunate to have mates like Ids and Candy on his team. They're a motley crew glued together by spray paint and an unspoken respect for each other. Each is battling their own struggle against an identity title they'd rather not have, except maybe Ids who is the brilliant cool comical chum throughout. One title they do revere is MCT - their graffiti tag. Despite the nominal illicitness of their actions, their 'art projects' enable them to work tightly together. Understanding and skill sets bond creating a solidarity that is tested to the limit when Raze's world begins to implode or rather explode.

After a dramatic prison escape by his father, Raze nose-dives into a series of near death situations, each more unexpected and brutal than the last. Not only are Raze's nerves shredded beyond recognition but so too are ours as his home and life is systematically destroyed. On the run, homeless and confused as to why his dad has suddenly abandoned the family, it's Raze's close affiliation with corruption that hones his instincts for survival.

It might sound completely implausible that a trio of 14-year-olds could riddle and dodge their way through a seething mess of iniquitous deception but Chatterton's razor sharp narrative style and cutting teen voice flip unlikely into, 'Can I come too!'

As Raze is sucked into a sinister vortex of nastiness, he and his friends each face their own baptism of fire; for Candy, being the daughter of the head of police is not as idealistic as it seems for instance. Chatterton loops brutal reality and disconsolate yearnings into complex character patterns. It's thrilling getting to watch these kids unravel and then find themselves again.

As a fan of Tristan Bancks' gripping middle grade thrillers, The Tell, ranks up there among them. The pace is just as frantic. The plot lines just as absorbing. Chatterton's style is courser and feels a lot more up close and in your face, however this keeps the robust thread of helplessness taunt and compelling. I was drawn in by the 'tell' tale signs, the form of body language that gives away a person's true feelings and although this aspect of the story was reinforced strongly in the beginning, further reference to it in relation to Raze's demise dwindled after that.

This niggling unrequited expectation aside (and a bit of a Hollywood ending that teasingly suggests a follow on book), The Tell really is an-edge-of-your-seat thriller that explores the seedier side of life rather spectacularly from a kid's point of view. It is this point of difference that makes this novel so memorable. In that respect it is the perfect younger reader's rendition of Boy Swallows Universe.

[whatbooknext · Rating 4 out of 5]

Raze (Rey) Tanic’s dad is a gangster. An infamous mafia boss and leader of the ‘family business’, Dejan Tanic is currently serving time in prison at the New South Wales (Aust) Deep Cut Correctional Centre, a few hours out of Sydney. He may be locked up, but his reach and influence extends past the walls and razor wire.

Raze’s big brother Solo is also entrenched in the business, but the older Raze gets, the more he realises that this is not what he wants for his own life. He just has to get up the courage to tell his dad. The response is nothing like he expected, but he soon understands why. His father was distracted with plans of his own.

Dejan Tanic on the loose kicks off a turf war between him and another ruthless criminal, Jonjo Sullivan. They both want Sydney and all the lucrative underworld opportunities it holds for themselves, and it seems at any price. Raze begins to take an even harder look at his life and his family’s wealth, as innocent lives are lost in this turf war. He too, is soon on the run, with only his best friends Candy and Ids looking out for him.

Deep down, Raze can feel the Tanic menace rise when he is threatened or angry, but he pushes it back down again, determined not to sink to his father’s methods. Still, fear of the Tanic name does come in handy now and then.

The more he learns about his dad and his plans for taking control of Sydney again, the more Raze knows he has to do something. He is tired of things happening to him, and wants it all to just stop. It’s time he took control of his own life, and Candy and Ids are keen to help.

An inside look at a fictional Australian gangster’s family, from the point of view of 14 year old Rey (Raze), the youngest son. The older he gets, the less he wants to be a part of it all, but that decision is taken away from him when he is unwillingly caught up in a turf war.

Told in 1st person by Raze, and third person chapters scattered through the novel, this coming of age novel was gripping. I rallied for Raze as he battled his inner turmoil to avoid his family’s penchant for violence. He’d grown up with body guards, private drivers, his father’s life of crime, and all the benefits, but at what cost?

Finally taking control of his own destiny, Raze and his friends hatch a plan to sort things once and for all. What is The Tell? You’ll have to read it to find out. Short chapters, likeable characters, gunfire, bombs and action – A great read!

Author – Martin Chatterton

Age – 12+

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Martin Chatterton’s power of observation is amazing. Intriguingly, for someone born in the UK and now splitting his time between the UK and Australia, Martin has created a clearly recognizable Australian landscape. Young Australian readers will hear the way we speak, will see our landscapes and icons, and will see ourselves mirrored back in the lifelong themes of family, friendship, and coming of age.
Having a suspenseful novel anchored in a place that you know well gives another dimension to the reading; and yet, readers out of Australia will love the family-centric, things-fall-apart, psychological thriller, that centres on the life of one boy – Rey Tanic. Rey is 14 years old. His father is a notorious, jailed crime boss – who exercises as much power in jail as out of jail. His ‘octopus’ reach has a strangle-hold on family, friends, associates and beyond. Though Rey loves his Dad, Rey realizes he is facing an overwhelming destructive force. From cossetted private Sydney schoolboy, Rey begins to open his eyes, live on his wits and become more street-smart. His best friend, Ids McLafferty is always the clown, but a friend to rely on when things go down. Another of Rey’s closest friends is Candy Cooper, over-protected daughter of the Chief of Police. Yet things are not what they seem…

[Judy Wollin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Visiting your father, a professional criminal, in a high-security prison, isn’t something everyone does, and Raze wishes it wasn’t something he had to do, but when you are part of the Tanic family, it is the path you find yourself on.
Raze is determined not to follow his father to high-security prison or any jail, but how do you change your path when family, friends and the police tell you it’s only a matter of time before you find yourself living up to the Titanic name and in jail?
Candy and Ids are Raze’s only friends. Candy has problems herself. She arrives with black eyes, and her father is the only person at home with her. Ids is African Australian and knows if two young people are questioned about graffiti, Robbie’s or being out at 4:00 am, it will be the black Australian given the hardest time.
All three teenagers want to change their paths. How do they manage to do that with vast amounts of money being paid illegally and the police and criminals involved?
I enjoyed the fast pace, the detail of life on the edge and the dilemmas the characters had to face.
Recommended for readers ten years and older. A page-turner, read it twice.

[Blue · Rating 4 out of 5]

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Thank you Penguin for this book in exchange for an honest review

Ohhh now this was interesting. As you may or may not know, I love my crime books but am superrrr fussy! Generally I find crime books are too predictable or don’t create enough suspense around the plot. The Tell was an exception.
To be honest, I thought our main character Rey would be more inclined to get assistance from other characters but instead Rey instead tried to take on the world! I love this. Usually young characters always seek assistance for other’s instead of struggling for their own survival and I am here for it! I love determined yet desperate characters!
I loved that there was violence, guns, arson and all over conspiracies which kept the book interesting and fast paced!

[Tasha Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and sweet because im tired 😂.

Going in this novel seemed A LOT different to how it turned out. I was expecting tough kid goes into hiding. Instead I got gangster kid plots against the world.

I was given this as a potential middle grade read to recommend for purchase by school. Um, so, not middle grade. It fits into that gray area between full blown YA and young YA (its a thing. Dont @ me).

There's violence, abuse and gun use on many occasions. There's also arson, conspiracies and a big arse bomb. But its all wrapped up into a story from a 14 year olds POV. Which was weird to start but turned out amazingly.

Its a quick read which was actually not particularly predictable for the most part. I would however recommend reading this one for yourself before making the decision to give it to your kids if they are under the age of 13ish.

[Linda Weeks · Rating 3 out of 5]

“A tell is a sign a person gives out, accidentally, when they are trying really hard to keep something a secret, and I just happen to be an expert…

I don’t know why or how exactly, but I seem to have a gift for reading the tells.” Rey Tanic, 14 year old. (p.11-12, the Tell)

Rey (Raze to his friends) has a few other instincts which he can’t really explain – although he thinks it may have something to do with his family heritage as the son of mafia boss. He has something to tell his father when he next visits him in prison – but what is it?

When he gets an (unscheduled) visit sooner than he expected, Raze is unsettled by his father’s behaviour – even after he raises his issue...

Full review continued here.

[Kerryn Lawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this after finishing Boy Swallows Universe as recommended by an English teacher at my work. While it lacked the pizazz of Trent Dalton’s work it was a thoroughly enjoyable book to read that would have wide appeal with teenaged readers. Many elements of the story were over the top and unlikely to happen but with that said who really knows what happens in the world on the wrong side of the law.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic action/suspense novel for teenagers. Set in Sydney the main characters are 3 friends Raze, his father is a crime boss, Candy, her father is Chief of Police and Ids a Somali/Australian with a wicked sense of humour. The action starts when Raze’s father is broken out of a high security prison, by helicopter.

[idreamofallthebooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Action, crime and intense family drama… everything that is necessary to hook a reluctant reader in your life! Though the plot was swift and filled with twists and turns, some aspects of the narrative (including some of the characters and setting) were a little two-dimensional.

Thank you @puffinbooksaus and @penguinkidsaustralia for gifting me a copy of this to read!

[blessedbookmumma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This got me in as the cover caption describes it as a young boy swallows universe. I wouldn't agree totally but it was definitely a good middle school read.
I did enjoy Raze and his determination to not turn out as his gangster family expects.

[Anna Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5* An absolutely gripping story that, as the cover describes, is like a young Boy Swallows Universe and perfect for fans for The Fall. Can’t wait to get this in the hands of some reluctant male readers in upper primary.

[Tina]

Review to appear in Magpies magazine

[Tina Gumnior · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast paced crime novel for teens set in Sydney. It was thoroughly enjoyable and hard to put down.

[Hailee k · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good but it would be great to have a 2 second book because you left my class hanging we want to know wht happens next

[LN · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trigger warnings: Imprisonment of a father

6/10, well where do I begin with this since this book started promisingly but then it just let me down in the end unfortunately and I felt that I could've read a better one than this or the author could've done a better job on writing this. It begins with a fascinating main character Rey Tanic who was the son of a drug dealer who was in prison however he escaped and was hiding somewhere while Rey was just hanging out with his two friends whose names I forgot when he saw that and decided to act upon that. He later finds out about his father's drug operation and how he made loads of illegal money that he spent on cars and even an entire skyscraper that would be built in Sydney, Australia. The side characters weren't that fleshed out and one of them was even abused in the past but I simply didn't care for them even though I should but they didn't have enough depth for me to give a hoot about it. Towards the second half of the book, it underwhelmed me as Rey smashed his father's car because he bought it with laundered money, to be fair it was symbolic but it's not ok to destroy someone's property which I didn't like and the ending was the last nail in the coffin as an image of Rey's father was projected onto the Sydney Opera House and the police somehow now knew where he was and his appearance and he was arrested and the ending just fizzled out like that, what a shame however if you like crime novels pick this or read Cop and Robber by Tristan Bancks.

[Laura Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rey 'Raze' Tanic's dad is Australia's most wanted criminal. Raze is not sure he wants to follow in his father's footsteps... but does he really have a choice?

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Update: reread for readers cup questions.


Strong storytelling.

[LIESA · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was a quick read, but just woah , a LOT happened

[Vee · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

If this book was written for a more mature audience and was longer it would have been even better