Customer Reviews

Kerosene: Unabridged

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Sure this book will not go into the depths of history, it might not even last twenty years but despite all of that it is an amazing read. It takes you into the mind of those anti-social people in our society (which I could relate to being anti-social myself). They are often labled freaks but that is unfair. It is a true picture of what we as humans often due to those anti-social people with low self esteem. We pick on them and make them do crazy things like Cal in Kerosene. Cal starts setting fires because he can find no other way out. Everyone has abused him and he feels alone and unworthy of living until Abby comes along. Abby is one of the first people to truely take an intrest into Cal and to tell him he is worth something. Of course Cal thinks that she is using him for various reasons, this also often happens in real life to those anti-social people. The book is pretty realistic. Sure setting fires everywhere might be a little extreme but besides that this is pretty much what anti-social people are like. If you want an amazing real-life read then read this book. Once you get past the drugs, alcohol and fire you will see a true portarit of what "anti-social" people are like and the true brutality of life.

What does a normal but depressed and un-social teenager with only one friend do to solve problems? Light things on fire, of course! This book by Chris Wooding, who was 20 some years old when he wrote this book, is a good teenager book. Maybe this book will light you up when you're feeling a bit chilly. The end is very surprising, but kinda predictable. Cal Sampson is your average teenager that is depressed and only has one friend, Joel. Emma is the pretty and popular "it" girl at school. Her boyfriend asks Cal if he and Emma can borrow his lighter. After a long period of time, Cal decides to look for them and to get it back. He finds them in an alley and he gets it back, but the principal unfortunatly saw them smoking. That gets Emma very furious. Shye needs revenge. On the other hand, a new girl moves in from the other side of town, and her name is Abby. She is very beautiful and Cal has a thing for her. Then, there is an art competition and she enters and sees that Cal beat her. He didn't even put effort into it and it was beautiful. She worked hard on her art and still lost to this boy! Revenge. She becomes friends with Emma and together they work to get revenge on Cal. They decide to play with him by winding him up and pretending they like him, only to break his heart. But Cal isn't stupid enough to believe this. Or is he? Find out when you read this exciting book. After all that happens, Cal does something out of the ordinary. His lighting of fires leads him into trouble. There are more characters, and to find out who they are, you're going to have to find out by reding. Enjoy!

This is one of my favorite books. Chris Wooding definetley has some talent. He describes the characters in great detail. You become so drawn to the main character Cal, who feels left out and anti-social, you'll even start feeling the same emotions as him. Once you pick it up, it'll be hard to put back down, that's how great it is.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!! It was one of the best ones i ever read. the way the author displays how the boy is being over come by the need to burn things and how it causees him to actually decide to burn himself by sitting inthe middle of the gym, pure genius. this book had my on edge for hours, i couldnt put it down. If you are a pyro you really have to read this book, even if you arent a pyro you should read it.

This was a fantastic book, I recommend for people ages 13+. This book deals with many of the things goin on in schools today. Being that I am not a very social being, I can relate to Cal. His shyness is a bit severe in comparison to mine, but none the less, I can relate to him. An amazing book that was very realistic, and am very glad to have picked this up. I would advise YOU to do so too.

I love this book it is write different then most books and I love it some ppl might thing o great a guy that likes to burn things but its so much more then that ..its about high school love pain and so much more... and the writer is just so good he makes u feel like ... u r there feeling the same way as Cal is or as Abby is... and how u just want to make everything better in his life. 2 things from the book that really made me thing was the fact that being shy can be a sickness and we as ppl don't always c that. And 2 something that Abby says that ur going to get hurt no matter what its part of life.. something along those lines. Just read and yes the beginning is a lil confusing but once u r past that.. It's really a beautiful book.

Kerosene is a book that tells about dealing with life in the wrong way. Of course its about a pyromaniac. A little differernt but a good read.