I am the Minotaur

by Anthony McGowan

Matthew is 14 and is struggling to fit in - something that's extra hard when you're taking care of your mum, being bullied at school, and have earned the nickname Stinky Mog because of your poor personal hygiene. On top of all that, he wants to catch the attention of one of the coolest girls in school, Ari. Ari doesn't walk: she floats, like mist on the water. And she's as sporty as she is cool. When Ari's brand new bike is stolen, Matthew spots his chance to make a good impression by getting it back for her... But will he just end up in even more trouble or is Matthew is about to learn that friendship and heroes can be found in unlikely places? This is a gritty yet touching story of one teenager's struggles with bullying and isolation, written by Carnegie Medal Winning author Anthony McGowan, and is perfect for less-confident readers.

Genres: Middle Grade, School, Psychology, Illness, Family, Young Adult, Mental Health

136 pages, Paperback

First published January 7, 2021

About the author

Anthony 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.

Reviews

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moving story of a boy who has fallen through the cracks because of poverty and parental ill health. Bullied and alone, he develops a crush and decides to stick his head up and be noticed when her bike is stolen. Relies a little bit too much on stereotyping groups at school, but another solid effort from the brilliant McGowan.

[Majka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the most reletable book I have ever read

The portrait of depression, anxiety, poverty and bullying is absolutely incredible.

The characters are amazing

The writing style is really easy and fast to read

I really recommend this book for beginning readers and for people that don’t necessarily read in English

[Graine Milner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book that will put you through the emotional wringer. Anthony McGowan doesn't pull his punches as he tackles the difficult themes of neglect and young carers; it's not an easy read from that point of view, but he works his usual magic of vacuum-packing a world of emotion into an accessibly written novel without the feeling that you're losing any breathing space at all.

[Denise Forrest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matthew, otherwise known as Stinky Mog, has a tough life. He is a young career for his mum and a lack of money means that they don’t always have enough to eat or hot water to wash or do laundry.

Matthew tries to be invisible at school so that no-one notices how he looks or dresses. From afar he admires Ari and the rest of the “golden” gang, when Ari’s new bike is stolen, Matthew decides to become the hero and get it back.

This is a lovely story about young careers, poverty, mental illness and bullying. I loved that Matthew eventually found his tribe who accepted him the way he was. An easy read which I completed in one sitting,

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Investigating this to see if it would work as a class reader. Nice little pre-teen book that covers some important themes. Finished it in an hour.

[Between The Pages (Gemma M) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short read for older children all about a child nicknamed ‘stinky mog’. He’s not popular. He’s a loner. An outsider. He decides to change that when a popular students bike gets stolen, he tries to be the hero & get it back… Will his plan work? Will they accept him? Will he still be stinky mog?
This is a book a lot of children can relate too. Not everyone has to be popular. You be you. It’s a brave story. Challenging his fear. Pushing his limits. He just wants to be accepted, acknowledged and appreciated. He doesn’t want to be popular, but he doesn’t want to be stinky mog either. A brilliant read. I really enjoyed it so I think children will love it. A well deserved four stars, highly recommend.

[mia❣️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read with school
although it is set out and looks like a kids book
It’s for like 12 an up so
(IDK HOW TO WORD THINGS)

[Marianne Weekes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Perfect for reluctant readers as it is part of the Superreadable series. The story talks about bullying, child neglect, mental health and young carers. I shall be looking to read some of McGowan’s other books like Lark a previous Carnegie winner.

[Alice Visser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another book in the new OUP 'Super Readable' series & this one also made me cry. 'Stinky Mog' is a young carer, bullied, friendless & deeply ashamed of who he is. But then he does something heroic. Powerful & a quick read. Y7+

[♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice easy read. I felt sorry for Matthew because he had such a sad life but the ending made me smile

[Hana · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a very good opportunity for me to learn more about poverty and all the suffering caused by it. And it made me really sad when every time Matthew called himself a 'Minotaur'. It was a very short book, but it contained enough of its full intention and meanings which I really liked. I especially liked how this story can go this deep.

[Lorraine Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant, down to earth, straight talking short read from Anthony McGowan. This book focuses on ‘Mog’, a young career who is neglected by his troubled mum. He has no friends and tries to liv3 life at school going unnoticed but then he notices Ari, the one girl he has feelings for.
A well deserved longlisted Carnegie nomination - the fact the school library plays a significant part in Matthew’s life is a lovely nod of appreciation from the author.

[Andrew Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Similar in ways to the Brock series, macgowans style of writing seems really well suited to Barrington Stoke type books. It’s about a boy who tries to win the heart of a girl by stealing back her stolen bike. It’s also a little known story that that McGowan sort of stole back his own bike after it was robbed.

[Candy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super readable ( I read it in one sitting) with a gritty, realistic topic suitable for older readers. The book explores life through the eyes of Matthew as he navigates his way through a difficult home and school life. 12+ although there is some mild swearing.

[Mab · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly excellent portrayal of a variety of difficult issues - there's a lot in here, from child poverty to bullying - and somehow both a very unsentimental, clear-eyed book and a very soft, sweet one. A lovely book.

Children's fiction #84.

[Wilde Berry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh I’m a sucker for underdog stories! I really enjoyed this - uncomplicated writing full of complex ideas and feelings. I’m glad it doesn’t have the gooey, soppy happy ending, but a much more realistic version. Nice, easy read.

[Rebecca R · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brief but absolutely delightful story about a bullied boy called 'Stinky Mog' who falls in love and becomes a hero. Perfectly formed.

[Aamori Lasisi · Rating 3 out of 5]

lovely quick read with an excellent plot.

[Grace Meehan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but sweet 🎂 recommend x

[The Book Squirrel · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars for being a brilliant high-low title, as well as a solid story in and of itself. Reading age: around 8/9; target age (content/interest): around 11-15. Text is a dyslexia-friendly font. Although the language is simplified for low readability, it's not at all 'dumbed down', so it's perfect for the highschooler who struggles with English for whatever reason. There's also no reason why an 11-15 year old who reads 'at age' wouldn't also enjoy it and relate to it. It deals with very heavy issues in a realistic, engaging, and empathetic way.

This story is about Matthew (Mog) who lives in poverty and neglect from around 7 years old, his mother spending most of her time in a stupor on the couch and leaving him to care for both her and himself. The NHS defines this as being a 'young carer'. He is generally unwashed and his clothes are dirty and don't fit him, leading other children at school to make up a mean rhyme about him. He is the target of bullying. The story is chiefly centred on his life when he reaches highschool.

There are a lot of keen observations about life for such a short novel. It deals with mental health, poverty, neglect, school issues of bullying and cliques/groups, standing up for others, loneliness, keeping to oneself and living life invisibly, high school crushes, and big acts of courage. I REALLY REALLY appreciated that Mog is a reader and the librarian is lovely :)

Overall, I recommend this as an essential title in school and public libraries, and in the home library of a teen who is not a 'reader'.

The neglect and young carer aspect reminded me of Girl under glass (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...).

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Am The Minotaur is part of the Super-Readable Rollercoasters series. The idea is to help less confident readers, so this book is short at just over 100 pages. At the end of the book there features a glossary of words, a list of questions for readers to consider, detail of each character, a list of further reading, and also a section that provides background to the novel (so giving some information on the original myth of the Minotaur). Given all this, I am clearly quite a few years older than their real target audience, but I did find myself enjoying the tale.

Our protagonist, Stinky Mog as the other children call him (real name of Matthew), is a child who is living in poverty, with a single mother who is suffering with mental health. As she cannot look after herself or him, Matthew is a young carer and has to try fending for himself. His is often dishevelled, and quite smelly, hence the cruel nickname given to him. Matthew is an outsider, isolated from everyone. But he is in love with a girl called Ari, and when her bike is stolen, he takes it upon himself to get it back for her.

This short novel is the perfect way into literature for those readers who want to develop their confidence in reading. Matthew was a character who you couldn't help but like, and I am sure that there will be plenty of people who can relate to his situation to varying degrees. There is a lot of emotion in this book, as it is touching upon strong, important issues. I think that McGowan has done a great job. I hope that it does inspire a younger reader to explore the world of books more.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is published in association with Barrington Stoke and as such it has the dyslexia friendly font of their books. It is very readable, however it does deal with very sad themes very honestly and realistically. It's a very poignant tale, told very frankly, and doesn't shy away from how sad and lonely it feels for Matthew, the main character, to be bullied, neglected, and feel so very alone in his life.

I think the depiction here of the way it feels to have to go to school in unclean, badly fitting clothes, to have no friends, and struggle for food, and have a parent at home who cannot care for you or themselves, is very spot on indeed.

The tale is not without some redemption, and some glimmers of light at the end of the tunnel, but neither is there a fairy tale ending.

After the story is finished, there is additional information in the book, about the main themes in the novel - young carers, child poverty and neglect, bullying, depression and anxiety, gangs, and books and reading, as well as the back ground to the Minotaur and Ariadne in greek myth. There's a also a brief glossary, a page highlighting the main characters in the novel, and some questions to make you think about aspects of what you've just read. Additionally, there are some recommendations for what to read next.

[Flo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really quick read about how it feels to be isolated and 'invisible' at school, with a more realistic ending than some might expect. I think this will be great for reluctant readers who want something accessible which isn't patronising, and which suits their maturity level rather than just their reading ability.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good to see disability representation and young carer rep in this short but engaging story.

[ems · Rating 2 out of 5]

boring

[Shanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick/easy read with enough discussion points/links to intrigue younger readers (10 - 13)

[Annaleece · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, it was upsetting to see what the character went throughout his school years but I enjoyed seeing the heartwarming ending