Grow

by Luke Palmer

Shortlisted for the 2022 Branford Boase Award Longlisted for the 2022 Yoto Carnegie medal Featured on the Sunday Times 2021 Books of the year list A white supremacist group and its violent leader targets teenage Josh, who is struggling to cope with his father's recent death at the hands of terrorists. Will he find the strength to resist, or will his unlikely relationship with Dana give them both the escape that they so badly need? An unflinching and muscular exploration of grief, and what we plant in the spaces that loss leaves inside us. Grow is a tense and compelling novel of our current social landscape.

Genres: Young Adult

384 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 2021

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a good premise but just wasn't for me.

The book is about a boy named Josh who lost his father during a terrorist attack in London. Struggling with the grief, and appearing "fine", Josh stumbles along to an after-school club, only to be preyed on to join a white supremacist group called "The White Tigers". It is through these people that Josh meets Carl. How will he stop their evil plans and escape from the violence?

I liked Josh and I didnt mind the story. For me, the book felt too long and it got a bit boring through the middle. The end was more engaging. The plot was not one I had ever read, and it felt an important story to tell, just needs to be more engaging.

3/5 ★

[Fliss_C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grow is an undeniably difficult yet compelling read, that unapologetically demands your attention even when its raw jagged edges make you want to turn away.

An unflinching portrayal of race hate and right-wing extremism, this poetic yet gritty novel challenges the hatred and ignorance shown by so many and explores the damage it can cause through its conflicted teenage protagonist, Josh.

With authentic characters and a clear message that will stay with me long after reading the final page, Grow is an honest and important story for modern times and one that deserves to be heard by young and older readers alike.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really great book especially for older teens, but it’s advisable readers are aware of trigger and content warnings (grief, islamophobia, racism, to name a few). It’s a book that will make readers think and it’s definitely a worthwhile read.

[Clare Canavan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding YA read about radicalisation. Everyone should read it. Gritty, disturbing but with warmth and heart at its centre. Wow just wow 📚

[Carrie Etter]

Well-written, up-to-the-moment YA novel with an engaging protagonist and smart plot. I was sorry when it was over!

[Holly Hawkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an uncompromising portrayal of how easily teenagers can fall through the gaps in society. It is brilliantly observed, and the compelling narrative draws the reader unapologetically into Josh's world. I loved the bravery in exploring accepted moral lines, and the frank portrayal of grief and vulnerability. 5*!

[The Reading Jackdaw]

Grow explores how easy it is, in our darkest moments, to believe and be sucked into toxic ideologies. The forces of right-wing extremism feed on Josh’s anger and vulnerability and Palmer explores whether Josh has the strength and support to resist in this page turning, emotional and relevant must-read novel.

[Karla Brading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished reading what is without doubt a very important YA novel called GROW by

@lcpalmerpoet

, published by the wonderful

@FireflyPress

The real world is a terrifying place. But the heroes are those who remember - with kindness in mind - that we are all human.

[TBHONEST · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grow is a stunning debut that hits hard. It deals with very topical societal issues such as radicalisation and how extremists target the vulnerable, just like the young guy in this story who is struggling with grief.

[K.L. L Kettle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to follow

[Bridie Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a hard-hitting book, I was unable to put it down.

[Alfie Fitzpatrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘Grow’ written by Luke Palmer

I had this book suggested to me by my school recommended reading list. So ordered it alongside ‘The Girls I’ve been’ which absolutely loved!
I enjoyed this book for the most part and found the sentiment very touching and truthful, however I found it to be slightly slow and took a while to get into the main plot. Josh a teenage boy starting year 11, lost his father in a terrorist bombing around 2 years before the main time period. He is obviously very overwhelmed and traumatised by the event and doesn’t talk much. He starts to regain his ‘voice’, when one day he meets Alan and Vince at an after school catch up lesson. Alan and Vince start to slowly pull Josh into a white supremacist organisation that Carl, Alan’s older brother runs, under the watchful eye of a mysterious character named Martin. Dana, Josh’s love interest as well as Jamie, Josh’s friend and Ahmed, a Muslim student who has joined the school, all try to convince Josh to stay out of this criminal behaviour and together they stop the group and their plans. I felt that the main plot twist at the end was relatively weak and lacked imagination and the climax of the novel was anti-climactic and didn’t offer an exciting end to the story. However, I appreciated the character building in this book and admired Josh’s character development and ‘growth’.

I award this book- ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Genre:- YA thriller, Crime, educational.
TW:- Islamophobia, racism, terrorism, swearing, and SA and sexual content.

[Daniel Sheen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 to 4 🌟

I adored 'Play' by Luke Palmer, so I had to go check out his debut. Now, being a debut, it doesn't have the sort of assured gorgeous prose that graced 'Play', but it's still a cut above the usual YA, and I think he handed himself an almost impossible task with the theme of this book too. It's about the racial radicalisation of a 15yo white boy who lost his father in a terrorist attack in London. What an incredibly brave and tricky subject to go after for your debut YA novel. And one I've never seen done before either. So kudos for that, too. And I think overall, he succeeds. It maybe should have been a little bit longer, as some sections felt a little rushed, particularly near the end, and it was a little more preachy than 'Play' but still not half as preachy as most YA books. There is still no pandering to tropes or 'contemporary wokeness,' which I loved, he just lays it out straight and lets you make up your own mind, and I thought he did a great job of keeping your sympathy with the MC, even as he starts to spiral into a highly questionable territory. Overall, this was an unflinching and heart-breaking look at right-wing extremism through the eyes of a young teen boy just trying to find his way. Gritty, but with a great and tender heart. It reminded me of the TV show Adolescence, and how easy it is for young teens to fall prey to peer pressure and toxic ideologies. Not as good as 'Play' but still an impressive debut, and moving forward, I can't wait to read everything this author ever puts out.

[Helen Precious · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grow is a fantastic book. Although dealing with complicated adult concepts of grooming, extremism and racism, Palmer manages to weave a believable narrative that will engage teenage audiences. He allows the reader to at times sympathize with Josh and at others be repulsed by his actions. Palmer's prose is keen, reflecting the inner turmoil of Josh as he deals with grief, teenage angst, first love and anger. The current divisiveness of the UK with increased nationalism and fear promoted by far right groups is tackled unflinchingly and makes Grow a book that should be recommended to all, especially teenage boys. At the heart of the novel is the theme of love and how this needs to be cherished and recognised for the good that this can do, both on the intimate family level and on the wider national scale. Ultimately, Josh discovers that the past is part of him but he is the only one who can define his future life by making informed decisions.
A brilliant read that has plenty of social commentary and enough action, twists and turns to keep all readers satisfied.

[Andrew Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Loved this book for teenage boys who want to read about things that happen in real life, rather than about superheroes, zombies and monsters. This is the authors first novel and it was carnegie shortlisted last year, a well deserved and impressive accolade for a debut. The plot centres on Josh, whose dad was killed in a terrorist explosion a year or two previously. While trying to get his life back on track, he is marked out for grooming by a far right group and the story is about how he gets into that then extricates himself from it. All the characters are all believeable and you care about Josh, Dana and his friends almost as soon as you meet them and I was worried everytime he met Vince, Carl and Alan. I especially liked the part at the start where the author describes what isn't in the book - explosions, monsters etc as when i frst read it i thought it was a warning from the author about content, but its actually Josh speaking. top class work from Mr Palmer.

[Laura Geater · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intense debut full of tough decisions and choices that determine the future of its young protagonist.

Josh lost his dad 2 years ago in a terrorist attack and hasn’t really woken up since. Keeping his head down at school, keeping quiet at home, and just trying to find a way in a world that isn’t the same anymore.

A perfect target for a far right organisation to tap into and turn into a “soldier for the cause”. Josh quickly spirals down into a dark world full of shady characters and illegal deeds and it takes a moment to work out who his true friends are and what the right path to choose is. A wonderful ensemble of characters from a broken mother to a ‘trustworthy’teacher, a best mate and a forbidden friend pull Josh’s world in to full technicolour and show him what he might lose if he chooses the wrong side.

[Wendy Hawkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grow is a page turner because it really gets under your skin; you get involved with the characters; you want it to work out well but you can see just how wrong it can go. Josh, the central character is a teenage boy with a all the usual angst of growing up coupled with a huge gap father size hole in his life. He is vulnerable and easy prey. The plot weaves some uncomfortable themes of our times, radicalisation. grooming and abuse into a gripping and contempary morality tale. I cannot reccomend this book more highly, yes it is directed at Young Adults but us oldies will benefit from many of its insights.

[Ljwatts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a powerful read about grief, racism and radicalisation.

Josh's father was killed two years ago by a terrorist bomb, leaving him and his mother coping with grief as best they can. A couple of racist students in his schoool draw him into the frightening world of white supremicism and for a while it seems like a way to channel his anger.

This would be a good companion read with The Wolf Road by Richard Lambert. Both writers have an authentic and poetic style and portray angry, grief-stricken young men and the bullies who prey on them, vividly and convincingly. The plots are different, but the books are both outstanding.

[Rebecca J G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping story about a UK-based teenage boy who gets sucked into radicalisation after his father is killed in a terrorist attack. A believable scenario and plausible characters, written by an author who works with young people. Keeps you engrossed, as you discover how deeply involved the main character is going to get...

The editing was poor - there were two pretty bad spelling mistakes that should have been picked up ('phased' was used when it should have been 'fazed'; 'Sargant' instead of 'Sergeant').

[Simon Packham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really fine example of YA fiction. I've written a few of these, so I often find myself reading like a jealous/critical writer. But I quickly became involved with the characters (who felt authentic to me - as did the school setting, not surprisingly as I believe Luke is also a teacher) and - very unusually - read the last half in a couple of hours. I'm sure this would be a brilliant book to use in schools. No spoilers, but there's a great twist too.

[Teagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is pretty good. The message is simple and doesn't try to hide itself but that doesn't matter because it's an important one. I found this book really easy to read as it had short chapters (some were only a page long kind of short). The story doesn't really have any action until the last 10 chapters. The foreshadowing is good as well as the plot twist. All in all, I enjoyed this book, it may not be something spectacular but it was thoroughly enjoyable.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ooof... this was a rough one. I appreciate the tackling of very difficult topics. I don't love the easily-tied-up-in-a-bow ending. I read this because I took over an English class and the previous teacher chose this as one of the novels for the class to read. I'll have to tackle it with students in a couple of months, but I'm already dreading some of the discussions we will have to have. It's not something I would choose.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent and important YA book dealing with extremism. Josh is a boy whose father has died in a terrorist incident. This makes him vulnerable to extremists who groom him. This is a good explanation of how a person can gradually be drawn into terrible ideas. An important book for your library.

[Naomi Berry · Rating 5 out of 5]

An important book to be read by any adult, young or otherwise and definitely one for school libraries and home bookshelves. Great debut novel from Luke Palmer!

[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't read many YA books. I loved this. What else am I missing?

[Ciara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great to see the methods that right wing groups use to bring in new members and how easy it can be to fall into the logic traps presented.

[Shanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for Carnegie shadowing… I get it, but not for me. Liked premise and characterisation of Josh. Female characterisation not so much. (14+)

[Joanne Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic book with twists and turns throughout, one in particular towards the end that I never saw coming. Gripping and engaging.

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, much chaos

[Laiba M · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.6 it was okay would not ever read it again