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Nicholas Dane (Hardcover)

by Melvin Burgess (Author)
4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
RRP: £12.99
Price: £8.44 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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  • This item: Nicholas Dane by Melvin Burgess

    In stock.
    Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
    This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

  • Killing God by Kevin Brooks

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 416 pages
  • Publisher: Andersen Press Ltd (4 Jun 2009)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1842701819
  • ISBN-13: 978-1842701812
  • Product Dimensions: 20 x 13.4 x 4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 55,469 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Product Description

His most substantial book to date, this compelling story of a teenager caught in a corrupt 1980s Care Home is a powerful study of a particularly highly-charged and distressing subject. Handled with great sensitivity and engrossing narrative drive, it is an important addition to the understanding of how childcare can go so wrong. When Nick's mother dies suddenly and unexpectedly, the 14 year old is sent straight into a boys' home, where he finds institutional intimidation and violence keep order. After countless fights and punishments, Nick thinks life can't get any worse - but the professionally respected deputy head, Mr. Creal, who has been grooming him with sweets and solace, has something much more sinister in mind. Nick has no choice but to escape. Living on the run, he falls in with a modern Fagin, a cheerful Rasta who fences stolen credit cards and car stereos. The scarring, shaming experience he suffered at the hands of Mr. Creal can never quite be suppressed, and when the old hatred surfaces, bloody murder and revenge lead to an unforgettable climax.

About the Author

Melvin Burgess was born in London and brought up in Surrey and Sussex. He has had a variety of jobs before becoming a full-time writer. Before his first novel, he had short stories published and a play broadcast on Radio 4. He is now regarded as one of the best writers in contemporary children's literature.

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Customer Reviews

8 Reviews
5 star:
 (7)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.9 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Dickens for Today, 2 Jun 2009
By Mr. M. Riley "Pilgerman" (Half Way House) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Melvin Burgess is our modern day Dickens. If anything, he drives the realities home even harder and replaces sentiment with real and powerful compassion. His writing style is easily accessible by any age and experience - lucid and clear storytelling that grips the reader and lets us live through the young Nick Danes experiences at close quarters. This is an emotional and provocative book that makes the reader shudder and sometimes rage - but it is totally authentic and should be read by teenagers, adults and especially anyone who has any connection with the care and upbringing of young people today. All the events in this book are quite obviously based on careful research but brilliantly threaded together by a great storyteller for the twenty first century.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Hard-hitting fiction which will last with you long after you've finished reading it!, 23 July 2009
By Hedge666 "Gem" (Plymouth, UK) - See all my reviews
Nicholas Dane

As an English teacher I always try to read new "children's" fiction. Melvin Burgess always delivers books which cut to the bone and challenge views of society or at least open our eyes to society and 'Nicholas Dane' does just that. This book is hard hitting - it features abuse, violence, rape and there is a lot of strong swearing - but don't let this put you off!

This book will compel you to ask questions - how did this ever happen and who was responsible for it happening!?! Burgess writes with a total honesty, without gratification.

For anyone that has ever experienced a life like the main protagonists, or for those that haven't, his experiences will resonate far longer than it will take you to read the book. Hard-hitting and controversial it may be, but this does happen, perhaps not to the extent that it did in the 80's amongst care homes, but abuse within domestic situations and within homes is still present and if only 1 person after reading this book commits to changing society then Burgess has succeeded in my eyes.

Be warned: not for younger readers. I would say possibly for 15/16 years +. Strong subject matter and language.

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Uncomfortable but Necessary, 7 Jun 2009
Nicholas Dane is a compelling if uncomfortable read. It sensitively and resposibly conveys the appalling abuse that occured in some care homes in the not too distant past. The subject matter together with the nail-biting plot will hold you captivated, and you will still be thinking about this book a week after you've finished it. A disturbing book certainly, but then don't we need to be disturbed sometimes to initiate and sustain change?
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Honest, compassionate and heartbreaking - bravo, Melvin Burgess
I had this book on the shelf for a few months before I felt strong enough to read it. The blurbs I'd read about Nicholas Dane made it clear that this book goes to some painful... Read more
Published 14 days ago by Candy Gourlay

4.0 out of 5 stars Modern day reworking of Oliver Twist
I've heard alot about Melvin Burgess but this it the first of his I've read and wasn't disappointed. Read more
Published 16 days ago by Book chatter

5.0 out of 5 stars Not disappointed
Melvin Burgess is a legend - what more is there to say! He grabs you into the book by the scruff of the neck even if you only intend to flick through it. Awesome!
Published 1 month ago by stillcrazy

5.0 out of 5 stars A shocking update of a Dickensian theme
Nick is fourteen years old, bored with school and often plays truant with his friends. His Mum, who has discovered studying late in life and is now a mature student, does her best... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Redwood the Younger

5.0 out of 5 stars Nicholas Dane plays Oliver
This is a gritty book written with real sensitivity in places. The violence is a bit unrelenting but true to what some teenagers want to read. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Speechgirl

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