Morris Gleitzman: Adults only

BY MARGIE THOMSON

Anything can happen in a Gleitzman novel, and it's the sheer anarchy of his imagination that makes his stories so wonderful, and yet so uncomfortable to read.

You'll squirm your way through this one, too, wanting to reach out and stop Jake taking the risks he does, taking into his child's hands all the cares and responsibilities of the crazy adult world.

Jake lives on an island with his careworn and seemingly uncaring parents who run a brutal-sounding establishment, an adults-only holiday resort. Jake craves the company of other children, but there are no others on the island - or are there?

Just as Jake's parents order him to stay hidden while they entertain some particularly important guests, disturbing signs begin to appear that there are more children on the island than anyone has suspected.

And then Jake discovers frightening evidence in a basement of a dark past which, unbeknown to him, reverberates in his own life in an extraordinary way.

A heart-rending story of loneliness and yearning ... a hilarious story of the falsities and foibles of adulthood ... a heart-warming story about friendship even unto death and beyond ... a story about families and misunderstandings that will make your heart swell. All of these wrap-ups are true. Very satisfying.

Puffin

$12.95