King of Nothing

Gr 8 Up–The opening chapters of this riveting contemporary novel take place in South London. Anton, a high school student, is “king” of the school, in part because of his top dog friends, but also because of his reputation: his dad is in prison for a violent offense. Anton’s friends are frightening individuals who start fights for fun and for the purpose of filming them. They openly berate women and betray their own families. It’s extremely hard to feel sympathy for Anton until he gets in trouble (again) at school, and his mother forces him to attend a community youth group, where he meets Matthew. An unlikely friendship evolves, and, slowly, Anton begins to see that his rule as king was based on fear, as opposed to respect. Their friendship is made genuine because Matthew himself is so intensely vulnerable, incapable of representing any kind of threat that Anton might rise up against. As Anton gives Matthew lessons on how to be cool and talk to girls, Anton discovers his own capacity to nurture and accept help. But just as his life begins to make sense, he learns that his father has been released from prison and wants to meet him. The pace is fast as Anton reels with the events that befall him. Eventually, Anton is forced to choose between the new life he’s begun, and life with his old friends, who threaten Matthew with violence if Anton won’t return to his former way of life. The races and ethnicities of the characters aren’t specified.