Ostrich Boys

Alright, so this is the book I've been reading for English this term. It follows three friends, Blake, Kenny and Sim, who's friend Ross has recently died in a car accident (he was hit by a car on his way to school). The funeral was a complete disaster, so the three friends decide to give Ross their own farewell. Before he died, Ross had talked about running away from their home in Cleethorpes, England, to a tiny hamlet called Ross in Scotland. The friends decide that this would be a fitting memorial for their friend, so they decide to steal the urn which contains his ashes and take it to Ross. What follows is a huge adventure, reminiscent of the movie Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, in which the boys journey across England and Scotland trying to reach the seaside town of Ross.

I quite enjoyed the book, especially the numerous twists at the end, which all add up to a revelation that shocks the boys. I think the characters were well written, and they each had numerous characteristics and flaws that make them more believable and lifelike. The catalyst of Ross' death and subsequent results is really the stories main hook, as we can each relate to losing someone we love (a family member or pet), and the emotions that follow after it. I really think that the parts later on in the book, which shows the friends each thinking they could have done something to save Ross, showcases survivors guilt. I did think, however, that the likelihood of the boys meeting a group of girls, one of whom Kenny falls for, just seems implausible. That said, it is a work of fiction, and allowances can always be made if the story is interesting enough, which it is. All in all, Ostrich Boys is a great teen book, and I would gladly recommend it to all Year 8s.