Synopsis:Matt has just moved to a new area but soon becomes embroiled in a mystery after he stumbles across a roadside shrine in which his own initials ML are carved. He learns that a local boy was killed there a few years earlier and local rumour says that Old Wil Jones was responsible. Then he meets Robbo and Tig who want revenge on the old man and before he knows it Matt is persuaded to join in. But when the old man mistakes him for another lost boy, things get complicated.

Review: ‘Lost Boy’ is a mystery that explores, among other themes, what it is like to be a newcomer trying to carve your place in an unfamiliar environment. The protagonist Matt is in a sense the lost boy of the title, yet this tale also introduces us to two others through the interweaving of three stories. On this emotional journey, Matt experiences peer pressure and gets in with the wrong crowd but eventually, as all heroes do, he finds his way.

I love a spooky tale and for me this book had all the elements of an eerie mystery. The setting of Hay on Wye on the Welsh borders and the moody descriptions of the neighbouring hills create a sense of gloom and uncertainty. The prose was flowing and I found it easy to visualise scenery and events. This is definitely one to reach for in the autumn or winter.

The plot was gripping; I found myself intrigued and wanted, like Matt, to find out who Martin Lloyd was and whether Wil Jones was really involved in his death. I found the depiction of old Wil Jones moving and the consequences of village rumour to be realistically portrayed.

Lost Boy would be an interesting text to explore in a Year 6 or Year 7 classroom, as I think the quality of the plot and prose would appeal to pupils of this age. From a teacher’s perspective it would be a great read aloud or could easily be used to support more focused English work.

2006-10-01