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gemmalewis1110's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness and Drug abuse
molly_greenshields's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, Addiction, Drug abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, and Racism
readingwithkt's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
You know you’ve just finished a brilliant book when you genuinely have no idea how anything else will follow it.
That’s how I felt last night as I turned the final page of MY NAME IS LEON by Kit de Waal.
Leon is our nine-year-old narrator. He’s recently become a big brother and Mum’s having a hard time. She is sleeping and crying a lot and Leon finds himself looking after Mum and baby Jake: changing nappies and finding food. After waking up one morning to no food and Mum unresponsive in bed, Leon has no choice but to ask a neighbour for help. This sparks an ambulance call and social work intervention, and Leon finds himself in foster care.
What follows is one of the most beautiful, devastating, and hopeful stories I’ve ever read. I cried multiple times while reading this book (very unlike me!!) and found myself completely engrossed in little Leon’s life.
Set against a backdrop of 1980s Britain, the political atmosphere of the time was almost like another character in the novel. From royal weddings to Thatcherite policies, and police brutality leading to riots... it felt like lots of time had passed (£1 notes, people using phone boxes and being able to buy multiple sweets for 40p) and yet no time had passed at all (institutionalised racism, Tory government policies, and political unrest across the country).
Honestly, this book blew my socks off. I usually dislike child narrators but Leon completely stole my heart and ran away with it. I loved the wee laddie. Pair this with reading Yoko Ogawa’s The Housekeeper and the Professor, translated by Steven Snyder, earlier this month and I really feel like young male characters are stealing the literary show for me in January.
My only slight gripe with this one, and it’s why I’m wrestling with whether to give the book four or five stars, is that I felt our narrator’s age and maturity levels were slightly inconsistent. Sometimes he was very child-like, and other times totally clued into politics and adult conversation. We needed the background though, so it must have been a tough one to balance.
Anyway, I loved this and will no doubt find myself recommending it time and time again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Drug abuse, Racism, and Police brutality
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