Makes you think about the things you take for granted !
Disadvantages:
This book can make you feel really sad in places . . . . . . . .
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
The Kid is the first book by Kevin Lewis, In which he gives a harrowing insight in to his childhood.
Kevin was brought up on Council Estate in London. He lived with his alcoholic father Denis and violent Mother Gloria, brother and sister. This was in the 1970's. The children lived in constant fear of their parents, although it seemed at first it was mainly his mother that did all the beating. As time and alcohol ravaged Denis he too would take part in what became the constant ritual of beating, biting, punching and verbally abusing of Kevin.
It tells how eventually the social services opened their eyes to the suffering and put kevin in a childrens home, He thrived and you think that from there things will get better for kevin, but the social services decide that Gloria is reformed and sends Kevin back home, where the violence he suffers is simply incomprehensible.
Kevin at one point is placed with a foster family, an older couple, but whilst he is happy there, he can only stay until he turns 18, so then he has to fend for himself, he is determined to make something of himself and get some money behind him, so he can start a business, which he believes will realise the dream he has held for so long.
But for Kevin who left shcool with no qualifications, making enough money to buy his business is not easy, and he ends up falling into crime. He steals cars to order, and began selling illegal imported drink and tobacco to clubs and pubs, but it is just not enough, and his debts spiral out of control. On the verge of losing his house, with no money and no food, Kevin decides there is only one option. To take his own life.
Kevin manages to pull himself up, and slowly begins to rebuild his life, turning his back on crime.
He meets and marries Jackie, for whom this book is written, and in time becomes a father of two. I read this book completely by accident... it was lent to me by my dad and I thought to be honest it was going to be a load of old tosh!! How wrong I was, I literally could not put this book down. .... it made me laugh in places and cry in many more.
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