Kit de Waal

"Originally published in Great Britain in 2016 by Penguin Random House UK."

A Novel

My Name Is Leon

**A TIMES and INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER** **WINNER OF THE IRISH NOVEL PRIZE** **SHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA FIRST NOVEL AWARD 2016** **SHORTLISTED FOR THE DESMOND ELLIOT PRIZE** It's 1981, a year of riots and royal weddings. The Dukes of Hazzard is on TV. Curly Wurlys are in the shops. And trying to find a place in it all is nine-year-old Leon. He and his little brother Jake have gone to live with Maureen. They've lost one home, but have they found another? Maureen feeds and looks after them. She has wild red hair and mutters swearwords under her breath when she thinks they can't hear. She claims everything will be okay. But will they ever see their mother again? Who are the couple who secretly visit Jake? Between the street violence and the street parties, Leon must find a way to reunite his family... 'Startlingly funny. Balances the gritty with the feel good' Observer 'Vivid and endearing - a very powerful book' Emma Healey, bestselling author of Elizabeth is Missing 'Authentic and beautiful, urgent and honest, this novel makes room in your heart' Chris Cleave, bestselling author of The Other Hand

Beatrice

I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.

What a great way to start 2017! My Name is Leon was everything a book could be: emotional, funny, well written and delicately touching upon terribly difficult topics. Go read it now!

No, seriously... What are you still doing here? Go!

Oh well, since you're still here, let me tell you why you should bother with this little gem of a book. Firstly, this book was highly original. I loved the fact that our protagonist is a biracial young boy whose family is so messed up he and his brother end up in foster care. This is a very sensitive topic, and one I actually rarely see represented in books. Yet somehow, the author managed to touch upon the issues faced by fostered children ever so lightly, truly helping the reader see the world from Leon's point of view. I was touched by this little boy's deep, deep love towards his mother and brother, I was amazed by his sense of responsibility and suffered his same frustration when his whole world collapsed.

Also, I loved the characters. Leon himself was incredibly well developed, growing and changing throughout the book. He is a real kid, with his problems, and his dreams. It was very interesting to get inside his little boy's mind to witness first hand exactly how he lived through all the things that happened to him. Themes of discrimination, equality, children's rights are delicately built in the story, so that it never feels like a lecture but still manages to get you thinking. The secondary characters were also very well developed, despite being seen only through Leon's eyes.

Heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time, My Name is Leon is one book that, even in its simplicity, will capture you entirely. Perfect to cozy up with in the cold winter, preferably with a good cup of English tea to get you in the right mood. 

For this and more reviews, visit Book for Thought.

Kit De Waal

My Name is Leon

Elena Garcia Navarro

I'm very sad that I didn't enjoy this book much. 

It was very well written and it approached some hard hitting topics such as mental illness, children in foster care or adoption. My problem was that I couldn't care less about the characters... I wasn't invested in even one of the storylines and I thought about DNFing it several times. 

A pity, 'cause I had great expectations set on this novel.

Sarah Chauvidon

Love Leon, such a lovely boy. He has his struggles and in life, which is sad. But he remains a very sweet boy. Definately recommend this book.

Cels

Bec Taylor

**A TIMES and INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER** **WINNER OF THE IRISH NOVEL PRIZE** **SHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA FIRST NOVEL AWARD 2016** ** SHORTLISTED FOR THE DESMOND ELLIOTT PRIZE** ** LONGLISTED FOR THE GLASS BELL AWARD ** It's 1981, a year of riots and royal weddings. The Dukes of Hazzard is on TV. Curly Wurlys are in the shops. And trying to find a place in it all is nine-year-old Leon. He and his little brother Jake have gone to live with Maureen. They've lost one home, but have they found another? Maureen feeds and looks after them. She has wild red hair and mutters swearwords under her breath when she thinks they can't hear. She claims everything will be okay. But will they ever see their mother again? Who are the couple who secretly visit Jake? Between the street violence and the street parties, Leon must find a way to reunite his family... 'Startlingly funny. Balances the gritty with the feel good' Observer 'Vivid and endearing - a very powerful book' Emma Healey, bestselling author of Elizabeth is Missing 'Authentic and beautiful, urgent and honest, this novel makes room in your heart' Chris Cleave, bestselling author of The Other Hand

My Name Is Leon A Novel

Reviews