Awards

• Winner of John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize 2004.
• Winner of John Llewellyn Rhys Prize 2004 (UK)
• Winner of John Llewelyn Rhys Memorial Prize 2004.
• Winner of World Book Day: Spread the Word Book to Talk About 2009.

Overview

'A is for Apple. A bad apple. Jack has spent most of his life in juvenile institutions, to be released with a new name, new job, new life. At 24, he is utterly innocent of the world, yet guilty of a monstrous childhood crime. To his new friends, he is a good guy with occasional flashes of unexpected violence. To his new girlfriend, he is strangely inexperienced and unreachable. To his case worker, he s a victim of the system and of media-driven hysteria. And to himself, Jack is on permanent trial: can he really start from scratch, forget the past, become someone else? Is a new name enough? Can Jack ever truly connect with his new friends while hiding a monstrous secret? This searing and heartfelt novel is a devastating indictment of society's inability to reconcile childhood innocence with reality.

Full Product Details

9781846686627

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Reviews

'Boy A impressed us on many levels: as a compelling narrative, a beautifully structured piece of writing, and as a thought-provoking novel of ideas. It's a wonderful debut' Sarah Waters, author and chair of the Judges of the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize 'A shocker of a first novel... told with extraordinary restraint' New York Times '[A] modern day immorality tale about the attempted rehabilitation of a child implicated in murder... delivered with a horrific sense of foreboding' Arena 'A frankly amazing achievement from young Mr Trigell' FHM 'A fine and moving debut novel... compulsively readable... a rare treat' The Independent 'Trigell masterfully builds sympathy for Jack' Entertainment Weekly

Creepy and involving... From the beginning, Trigell weaves a sense of drama and a disturbing feeling of inevitability Independent Trigell brilliantly depicts the pressures of living with a terrible secret... written with a naive clarity which evokes the unfamiliar wonders of the outside world Guardian A challenging novel of atrocity and redemption... [A] fast-paced, thought provoking read, perhaps all the more significant for the questions it can't answer Big Issue

Creepy and involving... From the beginning, Trigell weaves a sense of drama and a disturbing feeling of inevitability * Independent * Trigell brilliantly depicts the pressures of living with a terrible secret... written with a naive clarity which evokes the unfamiliar wonders of the outside world * Guardian * A challenging novel of atrocity and redemption... [A] fast-paced, thought provoking read, perhaps all the more significant for the questions it can't answer * Big Issue *

Author Information

Jonathan Trigell was born in 1974 and has lived in Hertfordshire, Manchester, Derby and Stone. In 2002 he completed an MA in creative writing at Manchester University. He has been a TV extra, an outdoor pursuits instructor and a door to door salesman; plus has worked right across the winter sports industry, from mopping floors and washing dishes to journalism and organising major events. Boy A, won the prestigious John Llewellyn Rhys Prize for best work by an author under 35, and also the Waverton Award, for best first novel of 2004. Jonathan now lives in Chomix, where he is writing his third novel, Genesis.

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