The hottest summer of the twentieth century. A tiny community of five houses enclosed by wheat fields. While the adults shelter indoors, six children venture out on their bikes across the scorched, deserted countryside. Whilst exploring a dilapidated and uninhabited farmhouse, nine-year-old Michele Amitrano discovers a secret so momentous, so terrible, that he dare not tell anyone about it. To come to terms with what he has found, Michele has to draw strength from his own sense of humanity. It is Ammaniti's ability to inhabit the mind and perspective of his young hero that makes I'm Not Scared such an affecting and extraordinary novel. The book is a masterpiece of coming of age; a compelling portrait of losing one's innocence and a powerful reflection on the complexities and compromises inherent in growing up.
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Review
Ammaniti is one of the best storytellers around ... Utterly compulsive. -- Sleaze Nation
Ammaniti’s prose is faultless. -- Independent on Sunday
An exquisite parable. -- Daily Telegraph
Sucks you in like The Blair Witch Project. -- The Observer
The new Italian word for talent is Ammaniti. -- The Times
Ammaniti’s prose is faultless. -- Independent on Sunday
An exquisite parable. -- Daily Telegraph
Sucks you in like The Blair Witch Project. -- The Observer
The new Italian word for talent is Ammaniti. -- The Times
Book Description
A young adult edition of the internationally bestselling thriller I'm Not Scared, a launch title of the innovative new Walker/Canongate Young Adult list.
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
42 of 43 people found the following review helpful
By Simon Hembra
Format:Paperback
Michele Amitrano is living the life of a normal nine year old boy, in his tiny village of four houses, until one day, whilst completing a bet, he stumbles on something so secret and so unbelievable, he has no choice but to keep it all to himself. A discovery that challenges his view of his family, his friends, and ultimately sends him riding his bike down a dusty trail of blackmail, hatred and murder.
I picked up this book in a special edition copy for 99p, making it the cheapest book ever that kept me awake until the following morning. Ammaniti's nostalgic and painfully accurate portrayal of childhood is set against a devastating and heart rendering story of the bitterness and corruption of the real world, and of a society willing to do anything for a better way of life.
The portrayal of this world seen through a child's eyes, a child so real he lives on in the reader's mind long after the book is put down, adds a chilling aspect of innocence to an otherwise dark story. Ammaniti leads the reader seamlessly from an idealistic world and in one moment buries them in confusion and terror.
An excellent read! Buy it, read it, and let it live in your memory, and your bookcase reading to beautifully chill you again and again.
I picked up this book in a special edition copy for 99p, making it the cheapest book ever that kept me awake until the following morning. Ammaniti's nostalgic and painfully accurate portrayal of childhood is set against a devastating and heart rendering story of the bitterness and corruption of the real world, and of a society willing to do anything for a better way of life.
The portrayal of this world seen through a child's eyes, a child so real he lives on in the reader's mind long after the book is put down, adds a chilling aspect of innocence to an otherwise dark story. Ammaniti leads the reader seamlessly from an idealistic world and in one moment buries them in confusion and terror.
An excellent read! Buy it, read it, and let it live in your memory, and your bookcase reading to beautifully chill you again and again.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Don't be fooled by the sparse writing style: this is a powerful book!
17 Nov 2006
By J. Lamiri
Format:Paperback
Brilliant and thought provoking, this book belies its appearance as a short, simply written novel. I loved its spare prose style as it made the events that happen even more stark and powerful. And it conjures up the nature of children's friendships really well, while drawing a vivid picture of Italian rural life. The intensity of the summer is reflected in the intensity of the book's events. On the surface it's a simply told tale, but also speaks of the betrayal of childhood and the nature of the parent-child relationship. The book turns on its head all notion of what is normal, with the essence of good and evil explored subtly and with devastating effect.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By JC
Format:Paperback
The cover of this particular edition may be charmingly rustic, but the rural Italy of this short novel is entirely devoid of charm. It is flat, largely featureless, impoverished and peopled by people on the edge of criminality. Criminal or not, all its inhabitants dream of escaping to the tower blocks and diversions of the big city.
The story is narrated by a young boy who makes an alarming discovery outside an old abandoned house. Being very young, he does not immediately comprehend the meaning of his discovery, but as the days and weeks go by he is forced to confront a series of disturbing truths about all those around him.
This is short, a pacy read. The boy's voice is authentic and the setting believable. A bundled-up ending spoils what is otherwise a very good book.
Reportedly, the Italian film version (2003) was not bad either.
The story is narrated by a young boy who makes an alarming discovery outside an old abandoned house. Being very young, he does not immediately comprehend the meaning of his discovery, but as the days and weeks go by he is forced to confront a series of disturbing truths about all those around him.
This is short, a pacy read. The boy's voice is authentic and the setting believable. A bundled-up ending spoils what is otherwise a very good book.
Reportedly, the Italian film version (2003) was not bad either.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
Wasted potential
First off, I actually agree with a lot of what is written in the more positive reviews on this page. Read more
Published 4 days ago by Kenneth Øster
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good read
Pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. A bit dark and disturbing in parts and not the happy go lucky ending you end up wishing for.
Published 1 month ago by kelly gorstridge
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dramatic masterpiece
Strong, emotionally harrowing drama situated in 1978 in rural Italy, told through the eyes of Michele (aged 9). Read more
Published 7 months ago by P. A. Doornbos
3.0 out of 5 stars
Lost in translation
I bought this book as an accompaniment to the Italian version that I was reading as part of my Italian A-Level course. Read more
Published 10 months ago by franetta
5.0 out of 5 stars
what a book
It's a taught, tightly plotted thriller, set in the sweltering heat of a small Italian village, where dogs laze in the shade, the smell of ragu wafts through open doorways and the... Read more
Published 16 months ago by bennyben80
4.0 out of 5 stars
Just so well done !!!
An enthralling atmospheric & suspenseful tale of fear, betrayal and loss of innocence.I'm sure the original was even more so but the translation was done well in this case as... Read more
Published 22 months ago by sam
5.0 out of 5 stars
A masterpiece
I read this book in two sittings - part of me didn't want it to end, and the other part of me wanted to find out what happens. The ending is mind-blowing. Read more
Published on 14 April 2011 by Mr. G. Hope
5.0 out of 5 stars
Evocative and strange
Wonderful. The sort of book Stephen King (well, almost) used to write. A sort of Italian Twin Peaks told from a boy's point of view. Read more
Published on 28 Mar 2011 by H. Collingbourne
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Lost Innocence
I'm not scared sums up the story of nine year old Italian Michele and his gradual loss of innocence after making a discovery which he is too scared to tell anyone about. Read more
Published on 1 Feb 2011 by booklover
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Thriller With A Difference
I didn't really know what to expect from `I'm Not Scared', I knew from the blurb that the premise of this novel was six children exploring in the Italian countryside during the... Read more
Published on 26 July 2010 by Simon Savidge Reads
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