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Ostrich Boys (Definitions) [Paperback]

Keith Gray
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
RRP: £6.99
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Book Description

3 July 2008 Definitions

'It's not really kidnapping, is it? He'd have to be alive for it to be proper kidnapping.'

Kenny, Sim and Blake are about to embark on a remarkable journey of friendship. Stealing the urn containing the ashes of their best friend Ross, they set out from Cleethorpes on the east coast to travel the 261 miles to the tiny hamlet of Ross in Dumfries and Galloway. After a depressing and dispiriting funeral they feel taking Ross to Ross will be a fitting memorial for a 15 year-old boy who changed all their lives through his friendship. Little do they realise just how much Ross can still affect life for them even though he's now dead.

Drawing on personal experience Keith Gray has written an extraordinary novel about friendship, loss and suicide, and about the good things that may be waiting just out of sight around the corner . . .


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Product details

  • Paperback: 368 pages
  • Publisher: Definitions (Young Adult) (3 July 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0099456575
  • ISBN-13: 978-0099456575
  • Product Dimensions: 13.1 x 2.3 x 19.5 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 175,852 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Review

"One of the highlights of the year . . . Reminiscent of On the Road and Catcher in the Rye, this is a seminal book about modern youth . . . Pertinent and profound work, instantly worthy of the label "modern classic"" (Jake Hope The Bookseller 2008-04-18)

"Gray, with excellent timing, keeps the plot light and humourous, despite dealing with suicide, loss of friendship and bullying" (Daily Telegraph 2008-07-12)

"A gripping tale of loss, guilt, revenge and redemption and contains touches of gallows humour that will be of particular appeal to the teen audience. Gray has managed to mainatin the high standard of his previous work and while this text does not alienate teenage girls. It will be of particular appeal to teenage boys" (The School Librarian 2008-12-01)

"An exceptionally involving and affecting novel" (Books for Keeps 2008-07-01)

"Funny, page-turning and profound" (Nicolette Jones The Sunday Times 2008-06-29)

Review

`Packs a massive punch. A remarkable book - five star reading!'

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Customer Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5 stars
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, fast-paced and moving 17 Mar 2009
By J.
Format:Paperback
Ostrich Boys is a brilliant, fast-paced and moving boys book. Not that girls wouldn't enjoy it, there is plenty in it which teenage girls can relate to, but it doesn't happen often to find a book which so honestly deals with teenage boys' interests.
Kenny, Sim and Blake steal their best friend's ashes to give him a proper send-off in a place he would have wanted to be. The three young men are not only chased by police, but also by memories of their dead best friend, all while being typical teenage boys. It's probably the funniest book about death I have ever read, and all with being utterly respectfull to the subject!
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars A Solid Road Trip Story Looks at Teenage Friendship 17 April 2010
By A. Ross TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
A plot revolving around friends and/or family going on a road trip to scatter a loved one's ashes is a well worn path (see, for example, Graham Swift's 1996 Booker Prize winning Last Orders, or William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying). However, here, that premise is reimagined for the teen set, as three 15-year-old British boys steal their best friend's ashes in order to take them to a special town in Scotland, where they intend to give him a proper send-off. The catalyst for their quest is their disgust at what they see as a fake show of caring by classmates and townspeople at their friend's stuffy funeral. The short book starts out as a bit of a caper and a farce, as they scheme to get their hands on the ashes and make their way north via a series of misadventures (rather predictably, they lose most of their money, and then later they meet up with some girls). However, there's more to the story than a simple road trip, as we gradually learn a little more about the boys and their friendship, and the possibility is raised that their friend may have committed suicide. Things start to get much more serious in the final chapters, as the boys get close to their goal, and the nature of their friendship comes under greater scrutiny. It's a bittersweet book, one that will challenge young readers to consider their own friendships, but does so without being didactic. It's also the kind of story that is incredibly well suited for adaptation into a film.
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19 of 22 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Just brilliant!!!!!! 10 Sep 2008
By Piggy
Format:Paperback
Keith Gray's first book in a while and well worth the wait. Characters you'd like to sit down and have a conversation with, a plot that makes you desperate to read on, yet reluctant to come to the end too soon...funny bits, sad bits and a portrait of friendship lost and found that stays with you well beyond the moment you turn the last page.

If you read or buy one book, make it this one. You won't regret it. Ostrich Boys should put Keith's name right back up there on the short lists for some serious recognition!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars Realistic, Edgy, Pretty Brilliant
I will keep this short as this book has already been well reviewed.

Strengths:
Humorous, realistic, brilliant portrayal of how teenagers actually are, subtle, but... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mr. Geoffrey W. Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars A great coming of age novel!
Ostrich Boys took me by surprise, especially towards the end.

The journey to Ross with Ross's ashes was funny, intense and surprisingly emotional. Read more
Published 2 months ago by SoThisIsReading
5.0 out of 5 stars a fantastic roller coaster ride
One of Keith Gray's best books. It was quite touching yet fun all at the same time . A really good read
Published 5 months ago by lizzielamb
2.0 out of 5 stars dull
As dull as ditch water I'm afraid. Daughter brought this home from school as guided reading and refused to go past page 40, a plodding book for plodders.
Published 14 months ago by dazed and confused
5.0 out of 5 stars Teenage Road Trip
When their best mate dies in a road accident, Kenny, Sim and Blake are disappointed by the dispiriting funeral. It seems to bear no connection with the Ross they knew. Read more
Published 15 months ago by annie hughes
4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and moving
Kenny, Sim, Blake and Ross are best friends, fifteen year old boys they live in Cleethorpes, or at least three of them do now, for Ross has just been killed in an accident. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Benjamin
4.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too
OSTRICH BOYS is about friendship and loyalty. Blake, Sim, and Kenny just lost their best friend, Ross. Read more
Published on 1 July 2010 by TeensReadToo
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
This is a very good story, very well written. The boys bond with each other is strong, but can they survive the truths that they will uncover on their lost friends last... Read more
Published on 22 April 2010 by mntcolchester
4.0 out of 5 stars Sound writing that would appeal to the right audience
The received wisdom is that Keith Gray writes excellently for teenage boys - capturing their concerns and their outlook on life without talking down or patronising them in any way. Read more
Published on 4 Feb 2010 by Teen fictionista
5.0 out of 5 stars Teenage books
Fantastic book which I throughly enjoyed when I ran out of books on holiday and started on my teenage sons books. Read more
Published on 29 Dec 2009 by alison tamlyn
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