Graffiti My Soul

by Niven Govinden

This is Surrey, where nothing bad ever happens. Except somehow, 15-year-old Veerapen, half-Tamil, half-Jew and the fastest runner in the school, has just helped bury Moon Suzuki, the girl he loved. His dad has run off with an optician and his mum's going off the rails. Since when did growing up in the suburbs get this complicated As the knots of Moon and Veerapen's tragic romance unravel, Niven Govinden brings to life a misfit hero of the school yard, bristling with tenderness, venom and vigour.

Genres: Fiction

219 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Shreela Sen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book when I was developing taste in books, & was already realizing that a certain kind of books "extraordinary resilience of ordinary people" is something I love.
This book fits the category, & is revolting.
I was, I think, 22.
The book was "critically acclaimed".
The main protagonist is abominable, even as a minor. So are his "friends". They are not "flawed human beings", they are so defective, they are monsters ... either born or made. They have zero empathy themselves, & they survive on the pain & humiliation of others, & please do not ask me to feel empathy for them.
Now, I know that some readers have felt the same for a book that I have adored - "Rule of the Bone"... & I empathize with those readers too, the protagonist in that book too was a major jerk... & readers can feel disgusted ... but he was still human.

Some plot points were clever.

[Sandra · Rating 1 out of 5]

Keine Lust von kriminellen Jugendlichen zu lesen.

[Simone Subliminalpop · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lasciamo stare Salinger e il giovane Holden (rif. quarta di copertina).

[Nine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this on a second-hand stall in Manchester for four quid and read it in a hurry because I was so into it. I'd never heard of it before, but it's published by Canongate which scored instant points with me, and it reminded me of Alan Bissett's Boyracers (also published by Canongate) in several ways: it's narrated by a fifteen-year-old boy whose principal interests are drinking, girls, and getting in trouble; in both cases there's also an absent parent in the background. But this book differs from Boyracers in that its narrator, Veerapen, is middle-class, lives in Surrey, and has more racism and death to contend with, as well as hanging out with the local alleged-paedophile. There are a whole lot of separate strands and as the plot unfolds, darker secrets come out. It's gripping, it captures young adulthood and pop culture really well, but somehow the end didn't quite work for me, which is why I haven't given it 5 stars. I was sorely tempted. I am still thinking about it. Anyway, I really want to read the author's first book now.

(As an aside, Canongate, it looks to me like you sorely need a proof-reader. And I need a job! Let's talk.)

[Miranda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good... almost a four star read, but something meant that I didn't quite believe in the protagonist, there seemed some contradictions in his personality but, to be fair, he's a fifteen-year-old boy, so that is pretty believable. I suppose I can't put my finger on what it was, but it just didn't blow me away. I recently read The Gamal. The only real similarity that the two books share is that they are depicting tragic teenage events, but The Gamal truly impressed me and captured my heart in the story, and unfortunately I can't say the same of Graffiti My Soul.

[sisterimapoet · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mixed response to this one - I liked the way the characters were written, whilst not particularly liking them as people. I liked the way the story built up although what happened wasn't very much. I liked the setting, although the tone got a little annoying after a while. Overall I wonder if this is more of a ladlit read than suits me?

For my full review, click here.

[N Song · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this from start to finish. Read an excerpt from it in class, and had to get the whole book. Fast-paced, witty story told from the point-of-view of a 15 year old kid. Not Catcher in the Rye, but it's pretty good. Follows the story of Veerapen and his friends - not your average teenage fiction.

[Ruby Patel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful representation of today's youth, a charming and contemporary read, leaving the reader slightly unsettled by its deep tragic ending.