Kick the Moon

(Paperback)

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Description

Fifteen-year-old Ilyas is under pressure from everyone: GCSE's are looming and his teachers just won't let up, his dad wants him to join the family business and his mates don't care about any of it. There's no space in Ilyas' life to just be a teenager. Serving detention one day, Ilyas finds a kindred spirit in Kelly Matthews, who is fed up with being pigeonholed as the good girl, and their friendship blows the social strata of high school wide open. But when Kelly catches the eye of one of the local bad boys, Imran, he decides to seduce her for a bet - and Ilyas is faced with losing the only person who understands him. Standing up to Imran puts Ilyas' family at risk, but it's time for him to be the superhero he draws in his comic-books, and go kick the moon. From Muhammad Khan, author of the critically acclaimed I Am Thunder, comes Kick the Moon, an explosive second novel about making friends, and breaking them too.

Reviews

This book will make you angry. This book will make you laugh. Muhammad writes with humour and empathy about friendship, belonging, toxic masculinity, maths and - best of all - comic geekery. Fabulous! -- Patrice Lawrence, award-winning author of OrangeBoy
A powerful novel that encapsulates the experiences of teenage boys with wit and heroism . . . Khan has created a book steeped in drama and empathy, as well as providing two iconic superheroes -- Nikesh Shukla, author of Run Riot in the Guardian
[Written] with humour and empathy * Independent *
Khans empathy and wry humour, accentuated by a deft use of slang, make this authentic and relatable * Observer *

'[An] ambitious, wryly funny, optimistic-against-the-odds novel'

* Times Literary Supplement *
[A] sharply drawn snapshot of the exuberance, complexities and downright scariness of teenage life -- Guardian - Indie Bookshop Week Issue
This is a book about racism, toxic masculinity, bullying and finding your voice. Khan's gift for authentic characters and believable dialogue makes his writing sing -- Fiona Noble, Bookseller
An exhilarating second novel. This high school drama deals with serious matters . . . but is also a celebration of friendship -- Julia Donaldson, BookTrust books of the year 2019
Despite tackling multiple, weighty concerns, this never feels laden down with issues but is a riveting read with an emphatic and believable central character. Strongly recommend. * Carousel *
A resoundingly stark, thought-provoking novel with a heart that burns with hope and courage * LoveReading4Kids *
[A] stunning follow-up to Khans excellent I Am Thunder [that] will cement his reputation as an author who can bring his characters vividly to life and talk intelligently about the pressures facing teens of all backgrounds. * crimereview.co.uk *
A current and insightful read for teens with a reminder that any crisis can be overcome * South Wales Evening Post *
An uplifting, empowering novel with hope at its heart -- Observer Children's Book of the Week, on I Am Thunder
Funny and clever - a perspective long overdue in British fiction -- Alex Wheatle, Guardian prize-winning author of Crongton Knights, on I Am Thunder
This assured, hopeful debut feels unprecedented and essential -- Guardian, on I Am Thunder
This one is special . . . punches well above the weight of most debuts -- The Times, on I Am Thunder
One of the most distinctive narrators I've read in ages -- Fiona Noble, The Bookseller, on I Am Thunder

Author Bio

Muhammad Khan is an engineer, a secondary-school maths teacher, and a YA author. He takes his inspiration from the children he teaches, as well as his own upbringing as a British-born Pakistani. He lives in South London and is studying for an MA in Creative Writing at St Mary's. His critically acclaimed first novel, I Am Thunder, was published by Macmillan Children's Books in 2018. Kick the Moon is Muhammad's second novel.