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Spud (Paperback)

by John van de Ruit (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
RRP: £6.99
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Customers buy this book with Spud - The Madness Continues by John van de Ruit

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Price For Both: £10.43

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Product details

  • Paperback: 400 pages
  • Publisher: Puffin (1 May 2008)
  • ISBN-10: 0141323566
  • ISBN-13: 978-0141323565
  • Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 2.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 3,757 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #5 in  Books > Children's Books > Fiction > School

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Product Description

Review
A high chucklt-to-page ratio. Van de Ruit superbly captures the cheery brutality of life at boarding school, and doesn't shy away from political turbulence ... nor from moments of sombre pathos. --The Financial Times

Product Description
It's 1990. Apartheid is crumbling, Nelson Mandela has just been released from prison and thirteen-year-old Spud Milton is about to start his first year at an elite boys-only boarding school. Cursed with embarrassingly dysfunctional parents, a nutty granny and a dormitory full of strange characters, Spud has his hands full trying to adapt to his new home. With only his wits and his diary, he takes readers on a rowdy boarding school romp full of illegal midnight swims, catastrophic cricket matches, ghostbusting escapades, girls and disastrous holidays. South African comedian John van de Ruit invites the reader into the mind of a young boy whose eyes are being opened to love, friendship and complete insanity!

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Spud
91% buy the item featured on this page:
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The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking)
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The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking) 4.4 out of 5 stars (49)
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Customer Reviews

12 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, 24 Oct 2007
By TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: Spud (Hardcover)
SPUD has been compared to THE CATCHER IN THE RYE, but I see it more as a twisted Harry Potter minus the magic and the nasty, evil villain. It is boarding school at its craziest and best.

Even though it is set in South Africa, and I'm guessing that most of its readers will not have attended boarding school, teens everywhere will be able to relate to the trials and tribulations of main character John "Spud" Milton.

Through Spud's diary, the reader gets to follow the antics of The Crazy Eight. Their wild adventures include the infamous "night swims," porn magazines and videos, attempts to break the school farting record, and investigations into the mystery of the school's resident ghost. All their schemes and pranks are done at the risk of being caught by Headmaster Glockenshpeel, known as "The Glock."

Spud not only deals with all craziness while at school, but he also deals with issues when he goes home during breaks. His father is a drunk who is sure the country is doomed now that Nelson Mandela has been released and Apartheid is over. Spud's mother puts up with his father's nonsense most days, but there are frequent, loud battles which sometimes end in her throwing him out. Add to all that a seriously senile grandmother Spud calls the Wombat. She has never-ending stories that, due to her declining mental abilities, she constantly repeats. Spud's father is seriously considering poison as a method for ridding them of his obnoxious mother-in-law.

John van de Ruit's book is sure to be a success here in the U.S. His newfound fans will be happy to know he is at work on the further adventures of Spud and the gang.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The best (and funniest) rites of passage book ever written., 5 May 2008
By Guy Allensby (Yorkshire, England) - See all my reviews
The cover says you will be rolling around, and you will be.

What with manic parents, crazy teachers, insane girlfriends, and bizzare friends this book is the best.

Read it you won't be dissapointed. What gets me though is it really is true to life.

Well done John.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Laugh a minute read, 4 May 2009
By Carmen Breytenbach (United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This book is fantastically written, a real page turner and will keep you entertained from start to finish. I would recommend this book for anyone looking for some light hearted humour.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Spud
The book is great, but the supplier was not. It took well past the estimated time to arrive
Published 14 days ago by Susan Johnson

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny and Moving
For anyone who has been to a British style Public School, who formed firm friendships with a close group of mates, who got into trouble together, who looked out for each other... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Matthew L. J. Bodycombe

5.0 out of 5 stars Spud
This item was unfortunatly out of stock and I was informed of this promptly. My payment was also refunded promptly. Would have no hesitation in using this service in the future
Published 2 months ago by J. Byrne

5.0 out of 5 stars HILARIOUS!!!
OH MY GOODNESSS!! I had never actually laughed at a book properly before I read this. I don't know why more people have not heard of it, it is brilliant and every teenager should... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Hello

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure genius!
I remember coming across this book, just as it had been released, in a book shop in Johannesburg Airport as I waited for my flight back to the UK. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Marcus Wilkinson

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
Very funny, from start to end. Tales of boarding school life in South Africa 1990. A joy to read, and have purchased the second edition of the book!
Published 5 months ago by Mr. S. Smith

5.0 out of 5 stars A blast from the past!
This story will appeal to any young person who has done a stint in boarding school or university / college residence, but particularly those born in the mid 1970s to early 1980s,... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Kirsten Zara Naudé

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
i was given this book by a friend (who hadn't read it). i was about to dump it on the pile of 'oh i'll get round to reading that eventually' books, when i started casually... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Mentalelf

5.0 out of 5 stars A amazing adventure!
This book was a page turner, I could not put it down! Funny, sad, exciting- a true rollercoater ride.
It is like 'Adrian Mole', only better. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Sandra Nel

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