The Bombs That Brought Us Together: WINNER OF THE COSTA CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD 2016

(Paperback)

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WINNER OF THE COSTA CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD 2016 Fourteen-year-old Charlie Law has lived in Little Town, on the border with Old Country, all his life. He knows the rules: no going out after dark; no drinking; no litter; no fighting. You don't want to get on the wrong side of the people who run Little Town. When he meets Pavel Duda, a refugee from Old Country, the rules start to get broken. Then the bombs come, and the soldiers from Old Country, and Little Town changes for ever. Sometimes, to keep the people you love safe, you have to do bad things. As Little Town's rules crumble, Charlie is sucked into a dangerous game. There's a gun, and a bad man, and his closest friend, and his dearest enemy. Charlie Law wants to keep everyone happy, even if it kills him. And maybe it will ... Perfect for readers of Patrick Ness, John Boyne and Malorie Blackman.

Reviews

A dark, powerful tale of survival, morality and loyalty * Scotsman *
A clever, entertaining and engaging piece of writing ... very carefully composed and gradually seducing its readers with its sense of fun, detail and, as appropriate, seriousness. -- Robert Dunbar * Irish Times *
The Bombs That Brought Us Together has all the warmth and humour of Mr Dog whilst also dealing with some pretty heavyweight issues, including immigration and cultural identity Phenomenal * Sarah Crossan *
I loved When Mr Dog Bites and have been wondering what he would do next. And its utterly different. But equally remarkable * Bookbag *
In this novel Brian Conaghan shows us that he is absolute master at creating believable, funny, brave and vulnerable young male characters * School Librarian *
This accomplished new novel establishes him as a major talent. Its incredibly powerful and thought-provoking on big issues such as nationalism, war and refugees, and poses some challenging moral questions. Its also brilliantly funny with characters that you will really root for. * Editors Choice, Bookseller *

Author Bio

Brian Conaghan was born and raised in the Scottish town of Coatbridge but now lives in Dublin. He has a Master of Letters in Creative Writing from the University of Glasgow. For many years Brian worked as a teacher and taught in Scotland, Italy and Ireland. His novels include The Boy Who Made it Rain, When Mr Dog Bites, which was shortlisted for the 2015 Carnegie Medal, and The Bombs That Brought Us Together, published in 2016 to critical acclaim.