Easily one of the best books around. I got around to it a bit late in life I feel like but better late than never. First and foremost, the main character Alex is the biggest draw in. His attitude of trying to get what he wants by any means necessary regardless of who it hurts is something that makes a unique and interesting protagonist. The language of the book is also very well crafted, pretty sure I'm going to be calling milk "moloko" for the rest of my life now. The way the book speaks on juveniles is fascinating to think about and the way it can apply today years after this book been published. I've met all kinds of kids who were up to the wrong things and how they were handled after they got caught and this book really goes into that. It makes you think, "can people like 'Alex' really be corrected from there ways on immediate apprehension or do they simply grow out of it?" Any book that makes you ask big questions about the world around you is clearly a good read.
This book is very "adult" and I can't recommend it to anyone that is too young. I would say maybe high school age is the youngest someone should read it.
Bought both the Hardcover and Paperback editions. Really like the hardcover because it looks exactly like the original version that was published when the book first came out. Paperback is fine but the material is very thin and slippery. So point being, it's an easy tear if you're not too careful.
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