Dawn by Kevin Brooks

Title: Dawn
Author: Kevin Brooks
Year of Publication: 2009
Genre: YA, drama
Pages: 250
First Line: "This is a story about me, that's all."
Summary: Dawn Bundy lives in a cave. In her head. Where she's been hiding for two years.

Hiding behind headphones. From the two hottest girls at school, in their impossibly short skirts and unbearably tight tops, their razor-sharp cheekbones and taut, smooth shoulders close enough to touch.

Not talking to her mother,not about what matters.

Not thinking of her dad, the drug addict, the ex-con, born-again but far gone.

Two years is a long time. Enough for the cave to grow so small that her breath feels like stone in her throat.

Two years is no time at all. Nowhere near enough to forget. To pretend that nothing happened. Deep one perfect morning.

Source: Back of book



Review: Usually, I'm much more impressed with Kevin Brooks. I don't know if it's just that I've gotten older so his books don't seem as intense, or if it's just that I've read more books so I have more to compare it to or if this one just wasn't as good as his usual stuff. It wasn't BAD. I didn't consider stopping reading it. As always, he managed to have a totally different voice in his story. His books are told (always?) in the first-person, and he's really talented at making them all different people, rather than making it sound like it's just the author talking through a new name. The plot was kind of bland and didn't have a lot to it.

Basically, if you're going to read Kevin Brooks (which I HIGHLY suggest), don't start with this one. (Those bolded in the "other books by this author" section are those I most recommend, but they're all good...)



Worst part: The summary is kind of misleading. While it sort of implies that Dawn doesn't talk and is a mute, that's not it at all. That might have been cliched for the plot, but it would have at least made the book more interesting.

Best part: I liked the whole "killing God" thing. While I certainly don't advocate it, it was so interesting and I would have liked to see more of it.

Grade: C-

Other Books by This Author: Black Rabbit Summer (haven't read that one), Being, The Road of the Dead, Candy, Kissing the Rain (started that one, didn't like the character's voice, stopped reading), Lucas (also excellent), Martyn Pig (really good but not as good as Candy and Lucas)

16 / 50 books. 32% done!