The Twyning by Terence Blacker is published in hardback by Head of Zeus, priced £16.99. Available now.
A story of love, war and rats.... is the strapline to The Twyning, which is an excellent summary of Independent columnist Terence Blacker's latest book for young adults.
Its unusual double first-person narrative entwines the perspectives of Dogboy, a 13-year-old living on the streets of Victorian London, and Efren, a young rat living beneath those streets.
Efren is a low-ranking creature in the rats' beehive-like society, but his curiosity leads him to the 'world above', where he becomes part of a war between humans and rodents that grows from overzealous paranoia to real danger once an obsessed scientist and ambitious politician get involved.
While The Twyning has strong characters and an addictive plot, Blacker's unflinching approach to violence makes it less suitable for younger teenagers.
8/10
(Review by Natalie Bowen)
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