Web of Lies [Paperback]

Beverley Naidoo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2, 2004

Two years after their flight from Nigeria, 14-yr-old Sade, her younger brother Femi and her father are living in a council flat in London, waiting for their claim for asylum to be approved. Sade is upset when Femi is drawn into a violent possibly drug-dealing gang, and even more upset when their father doesn't seem to notice. He's too taken up with his new friend Mrs Wallace, a refugee from Sierra Leone. But when Femi is arrested for murder, and the gang set fire to their flat, the family has to pull together to get through this most difficult time.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9 This sequel to The Other Side of Truth (HarperCollins, 2001) continues the story of Sade and Femi, now back with their father, as they struggle to fit in at their London school. Femi faces pressure to join a gang, and as he becomes increasingly enmeshed in its activities, his lies to his family become more serious. Eventually he is arrested when a gang member is stabbed and he is caught running away from the scene. This is a gritty and credible story of how a young teen can be unintentionally pulled into a gang, as well as a cautionary tale with a touch of didacticism, African-style. However, it is also a heart-warming story of a family struggling through difficult circumstances, including grief over their mother's murder, economic difficulties, and the culture shock of being refugees in a foreign country. This novel is about the power of telling the truth and the poison of lying. As the three family members slowly learn to confide in one another, their relationships are healed, even if their circumstances are not resolved. While Femi is at the center of this story, Sade's feelings are revealed through her journal. Naidoo integrates Nigerian culture seamlessly into the British context, revealing the complex social world inhabited by immigrants. Readers will look forward to the next installment in the Solajas' story. Sue Giffard, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York City
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 6-10. In The Other Side of Truth (2001), Naidoo brings politics close through the eyes of Sade, who, following the assassination of her mother in Nigeria, flees to London with her brother, Femi. Now, two years later, the children have been reunited with their father, as the refugee family waits for asylum. The focus this time is on Femi, 12, who succumbs to pressure to join a violent gang. After he is caught delivering drugs and confesses to the police, the gang tries to murder his family, and the trouble threatens the family's slim chance of asylum. Some political parallels seem added on, including the story of boys forced to become soldiers in Sudan, but the depiction of racism, gangs, and savage bullying in the city "jungle" is tense and dramatic. Readers will want to talk about the issues Naidoo raises here, as well as some of those she spoke about in her January 2002 Booklist Interview: "Politics is our lives . . and school bullying is the same kind of power dynamics on a different scale." Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (September 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0141314664
• ISBN-13: 978-0141314662
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,814,014 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars gang violence must be stoped, August 25, 2007

By 

Melissa Sack (georgia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Web of Lies (Hardcover)

Sade and Femi are sent to London to live with their uncle, for safety reasons after their mom is killed in a drive by shooting. This is all about the trouble the family faces when they are sent to London. The brother falls into the wrong crowd. Will this family ever be safe?