John is fourteen years old, alienated and angry.  His mother’s boyfriend is using him as a punchbag and his teachers don’t understand him at all.  Feeling completely alone, John retreats into his imagination.  Only through John’s humorous take on life and is escapist fantasies can you begin to know him…

What’s the hook?

The realistic and compelling first-person narrative arrests pupils from the beginning.

What are the themes?

Growing up, family and relationships are presented with deft humour and insight.

Teaching points?

An excellent model for exploring the use of rhetorical devices in a text.