Blame

LoveReading Says

July 2016 New Gen Book of the Month.

Shortlisted for the Best Crime Novel for Young Adults at the CrimeFest Awards 2017.

In a nutshell : tense, unusual thriller

Set in a not-too-distant future in which, following the collapse of the EU and a major recession in the UK (that must feel much more prescient now than when the book was being written), jails are filled not just with criminals, but the innocent family members of those who have committed crimes too, Simon Mayo’s first YA novel is a gripping, well-thought out thriller that asks interesting questions about our pre-disposition to apportion blame as a way of avoiding more difficult questions about what’s really gone wrong. The central character Ant, imprisoned with her foster parents and little brother Mattie, is the kind of feisty, impulsive and courageous heroine who lights up the best YA.

One to recommend to fans of The Hunger Games.  Readers who enjoy this kind of thoughtful political thriller will also like One of Us by Jeannie Waudby. ~ Andrea Reece

Reviewed by Andrea Reece
Andrea Reece has spent all her working life in children’s books.
More reviews by Andrea Reece

About Blame

What happens when society wants you banged up in prison for a crime your parents committed? That's the situation in which Ant finds herself - together with her little brother Mattie and their foster-parents, she's locked up in a new kind of family prison. None of the inmates are themselves criminals, but wider society wants them to do time for the unpunished 'heritage' crimes of their parents.

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