Boonie
By (Author) Richard Masson
Hot Key Books
Hot Key Books
3rd January 2013
United Kingdom
Young Adult
Fiction
Childrens / Teenage fiction: Science fiction
823.92
336
Width 25mm, Height 218mm, Spine 136mm
366g
Orphaned and abandoned, JD's only hope is a man with his mouth sewn shut.
JD's father has been burnt alive by the Silver Men. His mother has run away. Lost in the desert without water, JD meets a strange old man whose mouth has been sewn shut. That man's secret will save his life. The search for his mother leads JD to the City, where he must face the true horrors of life under the Silver Men. Trapped inside the Pits of enslaved children scraping for water, he must risk everything and everyone he has ever loved in order to survive. BOONIE is a story of bravery, friendship, loss and hope that will stay with you long after the final page is turned.
A compelling dystopian adventure tackling bravery, friendship and freedom against the harsh backdrop of a world without water. * The Bookseller *
Environmental disasters have become the new vampires in fiction trends, a typical storyline dealing with conflict over basic resources leading to an imbalance of power between totalitarian rulers and their hapless serfs. Novels that tap into anxiety about the future of the planet need something extra to stand out and Richard Masson's excellent debut, Boonie (Hot Key 10.99), has a harrowing opening with echoes of Cormac McCarthy's The Road. In a world where water is more precious than gold, knowing how to find it is an affliction as much as a gift. Published in January for a reflective new year. -- Geraldine Brennan * The Observer *
Richard Masson (1943-2013) was born during the Second World War and lived in East London until he joined the Merchant Navy at the age of sixteen. Over a period of twenty years Richard travelled the high seas, qualifying as a ship's officer and once delivering a tug boat from Rotterdam to Bahrain. Although Richard tested out his 'land legs' in a series of jobs - manufacturing everything from cars to furniture - he realised aged forty that he didn't make a very good employee, so started his own successful Telecommunications company. After retiring, Richard split his time between writing full-time, and sailing yachts with his wife exploring the Atlantic and Mediterranean seas.