I had not heard of this book or the author until the Guardian Children's Books site sent it to me, but I am very glad that they did because it is a really good book. I thought that the plot was very interesting, you were always wanting to know what is going to happen next and it is written in a very interesting style. The book is broken into 5 sections and each chapter in these sections is told from the point of view of different characters in the story, I thought this worked very well because it really helped you to get inside each of the characters.
The story grabbed me from page one when one of the main characters, Raphael, introduces himself and his situation in very frank language, and you realise that this book is going to be about a world of which you (fortunately) have no previous knowledge. Raphael and his friends live on a huge dump site, in a fictional city which is probably supposed to be in Latin America. Their lives consist of sifting through the rubbish, day after day, trying to find anything valuable that they can sell. Early in the book the boys discover a small leather bag containing a wallet, a folded up map and a key. This discovery leads to a huge adventure that changes their lives.
Without giving away the thrilling plot the story progressed rapidly, always leaving you with clues to work out and an understanding of the boys' feelings as they try to stay one step ahead of the authorities. Andy Mulligan has fitted a lot of action into quite a short novel and he describes the unique setting of his story in such detail that you can really picture it in your mind, although I have to warn you that some of the descriptions are not very pleasant – especially the prison cages. He makes you believe in the bravery and loyalty of his characters as they try to do the right thing, battling against a corrupt system.
I would say that this book would appeal equally to boys and girls, probably from age 11 upwards as there are some descriptions of police brutality which might upset younger children. I thought it was a brilliant book.
• Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop.
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