Malarkey

by Keith Gray

A new novel from the writer of the outstanding Warehouse

A gutsy, gripping and realistic story about corruption at a high school.

John Malarkey is the new kid at Brook High who uncovers a mafia-like system at the school, involving fixed football games, a homework club where money changes hands, fake report cards and even teachers willing to take bribes.

Genres: Young Adult

256 pages, Paperback

First published April 30, 2003

About the author

Keith Gray grew up in and around Grimsby and Cleethorpes on the east coast of England and decided he'd better take his writing ambition seriously after achieving 0% in his accountancy exams. His debut, 'Creepers', was published when he was only 24 and was shortlisted for the Guardian Fiction Prize. Since then his books have either won or been shortlisted for awards all over the world including the Sankei Cultural Publishing Prize of Japan, the American Library Association Best Books (YA) and the Booktrust Teenage Prize. In the UK his bestselling novel 'Ostrich Boys' was shortlisted for the prestigious CILIP Carnegie Medal, the Costa Children's Book Award and won the Scottish Children's Book Awards, and has been adapted for the stage. Keith has been a reviewer for both the Guardian and Scotsman newspapers. In 2017 he moved to live in Vienna, Austria, with his partner, their daughter and a parrot called Bellamy. Keith is a co-founder of Sunday Writers’ Club.

Reviews

[Kris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, I'm going to be honest here and admit the only reason I read this was because it was the topic book of our school book club.

There was just something about it all I didn't like - perhaps the rushed pace of the more important events, the unrealistic timescale or the characters I just didn't know enough about to care what happened to.

The events in this book took place over two days if I remember correctly. How exactly could one new pupil discover everything about a gang - who have been growing for two years - and then stop the entire gang, over two days?

Also, how could the teachers not have noticed anything suspicious at least? Fair enough, the gang are supposedly "careful" but I'm sure at least one of the teachers would have eventually caught on, regardless of the size of the school.

The librarian not discovering "Mr Tailor" was not a real teacher was also unlikely to happen. Once again, fair enough it is possibly a very large school with lots of teachers: however I think she would eventually check the staff records after never meeting this teacher.

It was the end of the book which was really disappointing for me - I hadn't enjoyed the book very much at all for most of the way through, then with several pages to go and the book still going strong, I was wondering how he could possibly finish the book with so few pages left. The answer? He rushed the events and ended it suddenly.

The scene on the roof was really disappointing as there was so much potential. Two boys who hate each other on a roof together? I believe that a lot more could have been added to that scene and it could easily have surpassed the number of pages it occupied.

Overall, I found this to be a rather fictitious book overall and it had a lot of potential, but unfortunately Keith Gray really didn't perform.

[Neill Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

When John Malarkey transfers to a new school just before graduation he expects some problems but he doesn't expect to be set up as a thief and a bully before the school administrators. Even when he tries to defend his name the machinations become deeper and deeper and it isn't until he retaliates that he has any chance of ending the targeting he's facing.

[Carluch · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brilliant book, but not for the faint of heart. A book full of teens being bullied by a group of tough boys. It also has a lot smoking and drugs mentioned and the main character along with many other characters are subject to a lot violence that is described in a lot of detail in the book.

[Suncan Stone]

Basically it reads like an episode of Grange Hill, so if you like GH you will probably like this book. But I suppose you really need to be a bit younger than I am to enjoy it to its full potential.

[Valerie Kite]

I am on pagee 100.. This book surrprised this shockable 73 year old.

[Shelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I kind of liked the middle part where the chase started. It's just that the book was predictable and I didn't like the way it was written.

[Elizabeth Frattaroli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is really pacy, taking place over just two days, and you're swept along in the action. John Malarkey is the new kid in school, where he has been set up by 'The Tailors' and has to clear his name. I loved that we were right there with him, trying to piece things together at the same time, albeit I think I would have benefitted from a lie down at the end of it! It's one of those books that you struggle to put down and I'm looking forward to reading more of Keith's books.