Crongton Knights – Alex Wheatle

In order to write my book, I read a lot of non fiction to get resources and background to the subjects that I wrote about… and I’m not going to lie, that stuff hurt my head sometimes. It felt like I was back at university, reading through textbooks, making notes and then adding them to my writing ensuring I used the Harvard referencing system.

Sometimes I have to take a break and read some fiction. Ahead of reading this book, I didn’t do any research. I chose it because I like the author. To be honest, I should’ve done some research because the book isn’t directed at my age group. However that being said, it was a good story and I enjoyed reading it.

Book cover

I like the characters that Wheatle writes about because they aren’t perfect beings who live in perfect households. The characters have personality traits to which I and others can relate growing up in our imperfect households. 

The main characters in this book made me chuckle with their constant bickering and cussing each other the way we did as teenagers. I related to this book because of the madness that they found themselves in.

Thankfully I did not have to do the same mission as them, but things such as going into parties with older teenagers and the confidence that I felt walking in with them reminded me of my younger years.

Although being there intimidated me, you could never show it and so I had to ‘Face My Front’ as the old adage says.

When you are a teenager you are at the cusp of adulthood and desperate to shake off any remnants of childhood, to the point where small dramas you consume become life changing and important.

Wheatle is a time traveller and instantaneously takes you back to those times. I definitely thought back to when I was running around the high street and various estates getting into trouble whilst trying to avoid it.

Armed with only a bus pass and a couple of coins to get some chips from a takeaway. It made me think of how lucky the kids are these days with everything being available on their smartphones.There is a bit in the book when the group needs to get a cab, and in that instance I was brought back to many moments in my teenage years.

The book is a story of camaraderie, growing up and coming of age. As we follow the main character around, we see eventual maturity to his family and friends, and how that influences his friends.

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