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Review
'By page three, Simon Lelic's harrowing and haunting novel The Child Who has you utterly in its snares. A daring writer but also a deeply open-hearted one, he renders his flawed but sympathetic characters with the most tender of hands, heightening the tale's suspense and drawing us even closer'
--Megan Abbott, author of THE END OF EVERYTHING
`This is a gripping, compelling read, with the author bravely tackling head-on a subject which arouses incredibly strong feelings, and then taking a very interesting angle on it by looking at the repercussions on the defending solicitor. The public outcry and horror at this boy and his crime is realistically and effectively portrayed. Leo makes mistakes and has flaws, but he is a sympathetic character. He tries to get to know Daniel, and attempts to get to the bottom of why he has acted as he has, what has happened to him in the past, what of his relationships with his mother, father and stepfather? But is this approach futile? And what will happen to Leo's family, can they survive the mounting strain of this case and the media frenzy it attracts? A fascinating and dramatic novel, this is definitely one to make you think, and the author leaves you wanting more.'
--Little Reader Library
`Simon Lelic's third book, The Child Who, takes him back to the format that worked so successfully with his first novel, Rupture . . .Lelic's themes are always inspired by real events that have been in the news. Here, he tackles the murder of an 11 year old child by Daniel, a 12 year old. The creative inspiration is surely the James Bulger case and he acknowledges the creative debt to Blake Morrison's As If on that very subject. . . Of course the subject matter doesn't make for a comfortable read and it's a grim story, but it is a book that will have you gripped from the start. Style-wise, he tends to start each short chapter by making you uncertain of what is going on, and the numbered historical chapters are interspersed with fewer chapters that are told ten years later. But once you realize this, it isn't at all confusing. The short chapters and heavy dialog content ensure that this is a fast, gripping read. Simon Lelic is a writer to watch.' --Bookbag
`Lelic's third novel after Rupture and The Facility takes a hackneyed, supermarket-thriller theme - the "evil" child who kills - but approaches it so intelligently that suspicions of opportunism are instantly allayed. When Daniel, a quiet 12-year-old boy, is found to have murdered his classmate, the job of defending him falls to provincial solicitor Leo Curtice. Curtice is open enough to understand that abused, neglected Daniel is a victim too. But he has a couple of fatal flaws: unfocused ambition and a naivety so chronic that he simply cannot foresee the impact of his actions on his wife and, especially, his teenage daughter, who suffers terrible bullying at school. An agile, perceptive writer, Lelic makes the most of this, drawing us deep into the family set-up and employing two time-frames so that the grim aftermath is constantly in our minds. Could this be Lelic's breakthrough book? It deserves to be. --Guardian
--Megan Abbott, author of THE END OF EVERYTHING
`This is a gripping, compelling read, with the author bravely tackling head-on a subject which arouses incredibly strong feelings, and then taking a very interesting angle on it by looking at the repercussions on the defending solicitor. The public outcry and horror at this boy and his crime is realistically and effectively portrayed. Leo makes mistakes and has flaws, but he is a sympathetic character. He tries to get to know Daniel, and attempts to get to the bottom of why he has acted as he has, what has happened to him in the past, what of his relationships with his mother, father and stepfather? But is this approach futile? And what will happen to Leo's family, can they survive the mounting strain of this case and the media frenzy it attracts? A fascinating and dramatic novel, this is definitely one to make you think, and the author leaves you wanting more.'
--Little Reader Library
`Simon Lelic's third book, The Child Who, takes him back to the format that worked so successfully with his first novel, Rupture . . .Lelic's themes are always inspired by real events that have been in the news. Here, he tackles the murder of an 11 year old child by Daniel, a 12 year old. The creative inspiration is surely the James Bulger case and he acknowledges the creative debt to Blake Morrison's As If on that very subject. . . Of course the subject matter doesn't make for a comfortable read and it's a grim story, but it is a book that will have you gripped from the start. Style-wise, he tends to start each short chapter by making you uncertain of what is going on, and the numbered historical chapters are interspersed with fewer chapters that are told ten years later. But once you realize this, it isn't at all confusing. The short chapters and heavy dialog content ensure that this is a fast, gripping read. Simon Lelic is a writer to watch.' --Bookbag
`Lelic's third novel after Rupture and The Facility takes a hackneyed, supermarket-thriller theme - the "evil" child who kills - but approaches it so intelligently that suspicions of opportunism are instantly allayed. When Daniel, a quiet 12-year-old boy, is found to have murdered his classmate, the job of defending him falls to provincial solicitor Leo Curtice. Curtice is open enough to understand that abused, neglected Daniel is a victim too. But he has a couple of fatal flaws: unfocused ambition and a naivety so chronic that he simply cannot foresee the impact of his actions on his wife and, especially, his teenage daughter, who suffers terrible bullying at school. An agile, perceptive writer, Lelic makes the most of this, drawing us deep into the family set-up and employing two time-frames so that the grim aftermath is constantly in our minds. Could this be Lelic's breakthrough book? It deserves to be. --Guardian
Product Description
The stunning new novel from the critically lauded author of Rupture and The Facility
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
As an avid reader of Lelic's work I had been looking forward to his third novel and I wasn't disappointed. The Child Who takes what, in less capable hands, could be a tabloid gore-fest, the murder of a school girl by another child, and offers a complex and insightful portrayal of those involved in the case. By focusing on Leo Curtice, the solicitor tasked with defending the accused child, Lelic does not seek to provide easy answers - that is not his style - instead he forces the reader to question a number of issues surrounding the case from the frailties of the UK justice system, to the lust for public blood-letting in such cases and, more widely, the failure of society as a whole to protect its most vulnerable.
While the subject of the book is without question a difficult one, the flawed humanity of Lelic's characaters from the unfuflfilled Leo, to his conflicted wife and withdrawn teenage daughter make this book an extremely rewarding read. Narrative tension is maintained superbly throughout the novel due to the sparing use of "present day" chapters, which offer the reader tantalising hints of the dramatic impact that the case will have on Curtice and his family. Lelic's prose - always one of his strong points - is by turns searing and poetic, while all the time maintaining the pared down quality that is fast becoming his trademark.
This is less a book about why a child kills another child, and more a deeply moving and utterly affecting examination of the complex moral and societal issues surrounding such an emotive crime. The recent Guardian review was right - this really does deserve to be Lelic's breakthrough book.
While the subject of the book is without question a difficult one, the flawed humanity of Lelic's characaters from the unfuflfilled Leo, to his conflicted wife and withdrawn teenage daughter make this book an extremely rewarding read. Narrative tension is maintained superbly throughout the novel due to the sparing use of "present day" chapters, which offer the reader tantalising hints of the dramatic impact that the case will have on Curtice and his family. Lelic's prose - always one of his strong points - is by turns searing and poetic, while all the time maintaining the pared down quality that is fast becoming his trademark.
This is less a book about why a child kills another child, and more a deeply moving and utterly affecting examination of the complex moral and societal issues surrounding such an emotive crime. The recent Guardian review was right - this really does deserve to be Lelic's breakthrough book.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The Child Who, the third novel by Lelic, reinforces my view that he is a talented and exciting writer. He is not afraid to tackle difficult subjects as demonstrated again in The Child Who, a novel that focuses on the murder of a child by a child and the surrounding case. Lelic, not only shows us the fallout of such a terrible crime on the families involved and the response of the public, but delves deeper into the impact such as act has on the solicitor who handles the case and his family.
The characters are believeable and the prose tight and sparse (a feature of Lelics writing that I have always enjoyed). I was drawn into this book right from the start, and was gripped until it's conclusion.
A story that will stay in my mind and keep me thinking for a long time. Fantastic!
The characters are believeable and the prose tight and sparse (a feature of Lelics writing that I have always enjoyed). I was drawn into this book right from the start, and was gripped until it's conclusion.
A story that will stay in my mind and keep me thinking for a long time. Fantastic!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
It's the year 2000 and a twelve year old boy has murdered an eleven year old girl. As the country is convulsed with rage and digust, Leo Curtice is appointed the boy's solicitor. His defending of the undefendable, however, makes him the subject of hatred and threatens to tear his family apart.
Inspired by the Mary Bell and James Bulger cases this intelligent thriller examines the strong emotions aroused when children kill children and the lack of humanity such events evince in the press and the public.
I enjoyed the way that Lelic focuses on the solicitor rather than the killer, as this made the book seem fresh and allows the reader to experience the same moral dilemmas as Leo does. Overall "The Child Who" does feel short and, as other reviewers have remarked, perhaps somewhat lacking in depth. It is, however, an enjoyable and thought-provoking read.
Inspired by the Mary Bell and James Bulger cases this intelligent thriller examines the strong emotions aroused when children kill children and the lack of humanity such events evince in the press and the public.
I enjoyed the way that Lelic focuses on the solicitor rather than the killer, as this made the book seem fresh and allows the reader to experience the same moral dilemmas as Leo does. Overall "The Child Who" does feel short and, as other reviewers have remarked, perhaps somewhat lacking in depth. It is, however, an enjoyable and thought-provoking read.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.5 stars - interesting but lacks depth
The Child Who is about Leo Curtice, a solicitor dealing with small fry criminal cases. He suddenly finds himself cast into the spotlight when he takes on the case of 12 year old... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Nicola
So different!
I loved this book. The characters were so real and you felt the pain and the joy as they travelled through the story.
Published 2 months ago by Andi
An intelligent, absorbing read
Simon Lelic seems compelled to ask why. (He was probably a very annoying toddler.) His books are neither mysteries nor thrillers in the traditional sense, but rather explorations... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Charles Hurren
Oddly
Despite the cover blurb I didn't think the author went as far as he could have done with the idea. I was expecting a gritty procedural expose of the arguments lawyers and... Read more
Published 2 months ago by karen bennett
Compelling story of a child murderer
This story has two stories running concurrently. One is that of a young boy who us accused of murdering a classmate. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Fi P
A child who killed
Leonard Curtice gets his big case completely by chance, and is thrilled at the career changing possibilities it presents. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Basement Cat
The Child Who
When solicitor Leo Curtice takes on the case of a child killer who is himself a child he has no idea how it will change his life. Initially he's excited. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Moonlit
Defence of a Child Murderer
This is a really good story of a lawyer defending a boy who has committed the worst of adult crimes - murder. Read more
Published 3 months ago by A. Rose
The Lawyer's Tale
After writing a spec fiction thriller for his second novel, The Facility, Lelic returns to give us a different take on familiary territory for his third. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Annabel Gaskell
The Child Who
A really gripping read. Read it in a day. I love thrillers, but this was that and so much more. The characters, and the situations they find themselves in, are utterly... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Rompi
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