M STEWART
In Defense of Jimmy Bramble: The All Saints
language
( Dec. 8, 2016)
The first of the three-part All Saints series introduces Jimmy, a kid with a whole lot of problems. Adulthood glitters on a distant horizon, beyond the bored gazes of distracted parents and teachers, and the blood, dust and taunts of the playground. But perhaps freedom isn’t out of reach, after all. When Jimmy changes schools he encounters a pack of boys who seem to be everything he isn’t; strong, fearless, and just as untouchable as the adults in their exclusive mystical universe. More than anything, Jimmy longs to belong. Surrounded by petty crims, racists, bullies and the broken dreams of every generation before him, true friendship is a rare commodity. Jimmy might prove himself worthy, but the relentless weight of survival could test even the strongest loyalties.