Boy in the Tower

The short first chapter of this novel sucks you in by raising questions so that you immediately want to read on and discover the answers. Who or what are the Bluchers? Who is Gaia, the girl whose whereabouts the narrator Ade no longer knows? As the story progresses and buildings in Ade’s area start mysteriously falling down and people move away, the race is on to find out the cause.

Ade’s mother is afraid to go out which necessitates his seeking help from the few people left in his rapidly collapsing community. The reason for her reclusiveness is strongly hinted at but not explained in detail, and seen very much from a child’s viewpoint. Ade’s voice is a strength of this first novel. The setting has the trappings of a typical urban environment with tower blocks. The ethnicity of the characters is suggested by their names – the caretaker Obi and Ade whose name is short for Adeola. Another subtle example of inclusivity is indicated by Gaia’s ability to lip read due to hearing difficulties which means she sometimes has advance awareness of what is going on. A dramatic story which holds sadness for some but centres on courage and friendship in adversity.