Kerosene (Push Fiction) [Paperback]

Chris Wooding (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2002 | Series: Push Fiction

A novel of rage, confusion, and release from an extraordinary young author.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A pyromaniac makes for an unusual protagonist in this provocative first novel, but the plot unfolds too slowly, and the characters' actions are often unconvincing. Not only is 11th grader Cal painfully shy and filled with self-loathing, but the only thing that makes him feel better is setting bigger and bigger fires. When two popular girls, Emma and Abby, make him a target for cruelty and his only friend, Joel, gets in trouble with the drug dealers for whom Joel was selling, the tension mounts. Cal makes a deadly plan to ensure "none of you are gonna be able to hurt me anymore"; and the people who care about him, including Abby (who develops an affection for him) and a distraught detective who's on his case, must try to save him. Wooding tackles British youth culture with mixed results (for example, the club settings seem authentic, but some of the dialogue feels forced). The majority of the third-person narrative takes Cal's point of view, but occasionally slips awkwardly and abruptly into other characters' (e.g., when Emma stalks Cal at a club; when a bum sees Cal light a factory on fire; when the detective reflects on his own son). Most importantly, readers may find it hard to believe that evil Emma would really go after Cal, or that the detective would, in the end, decide to let him go. Ages 13-up.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 9-Up Afflicted with an almost crippling shyness, Cal, 16, feels like a misfit among his peers and is ignored by his absentee working parents. He relieves his pent-up frustrations by lighting matches. His only friend, Joel, who owes money to some drug dealers, is shutting him out, too. When he angers two popular girls, Emma and Abby, they plot to get revenge. What begins as a game for Abby changes when she begins to care for Cal. He thinks she's just messing with him and he begins to freak out and starts setting more than just matches on fire. Believing he has no options, he plans to go out in a blaze of glory by helping Joel get rid of the drug dealers. Abby and an arson investigator save him from destroying himself and others. His feelings of alienation and inadequacy are believably portrayed in this absorbing, fast-paced novel set in England; resorting to destructive acts without regard for others or the consequences is an all-too-realistic response in today's society. However, the fact that Cal is caught by a detective who lets him go scot-free because he reminds the man of his dead son is unbelievable. Readers are led to believe that the enormity of what could have happened has cured Cal of his pyromaniac tendencies. The portrayal of the club scenes with the emphasis on drinking and drugs makes this book more appropriate for older teens. -Sharon Rawlins, Piscataway Public Library, NJ
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Push; First edition. edition (February 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 043909013X
• ISBN-13: 978-0439090131
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #827,243 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not perfect, but worth the read., April 16, 2003

By 

Tea (usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kerosene (Push Fiction) (Paperback)

Despite its shortcomings, I really enjoyed this book and found it to be a refreshing change from the same old ditsy teenage books that have been floating around lately. This book is also british, and of course there's lots of weird/funny things the brit's do that are hilarious.

As you can assume from the title and cover, the book is indeed about a pyromaniac, but not the type you'd expect. Cal it's some delinquent gang-banger getting a kick out of setting things on fire, he's a seriously depressed teen trying to cope with life just like any other teens who are cutters/anorexics/suicidal/ or what not. One thing this book does an excellent job of is explaining Cal's shyness; showing other teens that most shy kids aren't stuck-up, but are really just scared, lonely teens caught in a cycle of painful shyness. Woodson does a great job of showing how Cal's depression and shyness found its release in pyromania.

This book is far from a classic, however. There are a few pin-prick holes in the plot, odd p.o.v. transitions, and can be a bit predictable at times. Plus, the ending was, well, not to give anything away, rather ill-fitting and not very believable. I guess you can blame it on the first attempts of a twenty-year-old writer. Honestly, though, this book is very good for a young, inexperienced author.

OVER ALL:
A fun, yet serious, british-cultured tale that does a superb job of analyzing the thoughts and motives of a young depressed teen. The plot isn't entirely perfect, but it's still an enjoyable and recommended read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Heather W.'s Review of Kerosene, January 6, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Kerosene (Push Fiction) (Paperback)

This book is an excellent choice of literature for anyone over the age of 13. The book delt with drugs, alochol,and violence, which wouldnt be appropriate for a yonger reader. Besides that, I though that the book was very intriguing and full of action. One thing after another happened in it, and it was enough to make me want to keep reading,altough the ending kind of leaves you hanging.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Page-turner about Pyromania, March 2, 2002

By 

bharring (Living Under A Rock) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kerosene (Push Fiction) (Paperback)

Wow! I picked up this book in a store out of curiosity when I saw the title. And I certainly am glad that I did. Young author Chris Wooding writes a riveting tale for Scholastic's new label of teenage fiction known as "PUSH".

Set in modern-day London, Cal is a lonely teenager who feels as though he has hit rock-bottom. He is the mistake which his parents will not let deter them from their careers; his shyness leaves him invisible to his classmates (on good days); and he knows it is only a matter of time before his only friend, Joel, leaves him to hang around with his cool, clubbing buddies. All he has, or thinks, he has is the beauty--the beauty which comes from setting fires and watching the bright blaze emitted from the flames.

Ben Deerborn is an investigator of arson, who is called to the scenes of two fires which have been suspiciously set in deserted locations. However, he finds himself feeling conflicted between the need to perform his job and the identification he finds in this troubled youth to his own son, Carl, who died along with Ben's wife in a car accident when Ben was behind the wheel.

What sends Cal over-the-edge is a prank started by two spiteful girls seeking revenge for minor, unintended upsets, using the guise of true love for someone who cannot help but believe it is real. Cal is also spooked when Joel tells him that he has been dealing in marijuana and has come into debt with some shady and malevolent characters. He needs to get them their money or risk dire consequences. Under these circumstances, Cal plots away to keep his life from going up in flames around him: he will beat life to the chase. Cal knows there is something wrong with him, that he is a teen in trouble, yet how can he tear himself away from the confounding yet beautiful peace he finds in the blazes of the fire?

With titles such as "trigger" "fuel" and "conflagration" in respective order, author Wooding knows how to build up suspense. He is a master of description, particularly in the scenes about fire. The novel is well-plotted in that veiled hints about what Cal is planning to do are dropped before he actually does it. All of the characters are incredibly well-developed and easy to empathize with, and the various viewpoints of the story in third-person narratives add a complementary dimension to the story. Although I found the ending to be a bit unrealistic, and did not quite understand how Joel was so aware of his friend's obsession with fire, I still found this to be a suspenseful, fast-paced read, elucidating the dangers of ignoring a teenager's desperate cry for help. I look forward to exploring much more of Chris Wooding's work as well as other "PUSH" authors.