"Can Con ever escape the sticky morass of gang violence and tragedy in his home town?"
Set in the author’s hometown of Coatbridge, this hard hitting, shockingly authentic and unforgettable novel will sadly be all too relevant to far too many other places where poverty, gang violence and substance abuse are rife. He is shining a light on overlooked and ignored communities and the metaphor of the title is poignantly apt for the young people who can see no way out and no future.
It opens with a funeral and ends with one, young lives brutally and needlessly cut short. Our narrator is Con, a young man who is no stranger to death, his mother took her own life, and his father has since retreated into a competitive bodybuilding obsession.
Friends are all he has left, but, while grieving for Biscuit, killed by a rival gang, he has no desire, despite constant goading, to perpetuate the grim cycle of retribution and revenge. Con, Wee-Z, Trig and Nails are all vividly created characters and the banter between them is fast, often funny, sometimes furious and always foul mouthed, but unmistakeably realistic. The book is labelled as unsuitable for younger readers and that is undeniable, but nevertheless this is a book which needs to be read and which should be a wakeup call to those with the power to do something about the future for young people and communities.
Although a tough read there is hope for redemption. Con discovers slam poetry, discovers there is something that maybe he can do, something that can help him break free, rekindling ambition and father son relationships. A hope that survives the guilt and despair of the grim conclusion. This is Conaghan at his brilliant, heartbreaking best. An absolute must-read.
Con O'Neill is stuck in a world of brutal gang violence, sectarian vendettas and personal tragedy. The lack of opportunities for him and the rest of his gang is all too apparent. No money. No prospects.
A social design that entraps inhabitants of Treacle Towns up and down the country. Connor is desperate to get away, to find another life where he can experience happiness and fulfilment. When he stumbles upon the new world of slam poetry, Con senses a glimmer of hope - a hope that might just lead to his escape from Treacle Town. But it won't be easy.
Treacle Town features in the following genres: Young Adult Fiction, Family Drama, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Family and home stories, Children’s / Teenage general interest: Law, police and crime, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Drugs and addiction, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Life skills and choices, Children’s / Teenage general interest: City and town life, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Fiction, Children’s / Teenage general interest: Work, politics and society, Children’s / Teenage: General interest, Children’s / Teenage: Personal and social topics, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Relationships (non-family / groups), Children’s / Teenage general interest: Places and peoples
Treacle Town is available in Paperback
Treacle Town was written by Brian Conaghan and published by Andersen Press Ltd
Treacle Town has 295 pages
£8.09
