Book review

Small-Minded Giants by Oisin McGann (2006)

Perhaps you think giants only belong in fairy tales?

Think again. Actually, there are plenty of them around.

What kind of giant are we talking about? Well, the kind that controls much of what you do every day, without your even realizing it. Giants of industry, perhaps. Or government.

There are giants in Sol Wheat's world. Not that he gives it much thought, not to begin with. But there is a lot going wrong around Sol. Accidents. Sudden deaths. Things happen, that shouldn't, that others always seem to benefit from.

And then Sol's father, Gregor, goes missing, accused of murder, and Sol, of course, sets out to find him. He's out of his depth, quite quickly, until Maslow appears. Whoever he is, he says he's been sent by Sol's father to keep an eye on Sol:

Here, in this part of the city, secret lives were led, and he was sure that this was where Maslow had spent a good deal of his life. Whoever this man was, he was like nobody Sol had ever met before. And despite the fact that he had just saved his life, Sol was loath to trust him.

Well, if you're going to peel back the civilized skin of your city and have a good look underneath, you do need to know who your friends are. Cleo from school is a good mate, and so is his teacher, Ana Kiroa. And the Daylighters who Sol's Dad worked with. But Maslow? He isn't really Sol's type. And nobody ever said the police were on the right side. And who are the mysterious Clockworkers, and what is their function, exactly?

'...you have to realize you're in the underworld now. You won't be going back to school, you won't be going back to normal life; that's all over now, because if you get caught by these people, you're dead.

Set in a grimly realistic future, where the last remnants of the human race are hanging on in a domed city built to keep out the storms and sub-zero temperatures. Tense. Violent. Thought provoking. Loved it! Highly recommended.

What can I read next?

Excellent read. If you are interested in thoughts about who pulls your strings, you might like to look at this grim future created by Jan Mark:

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