Omega Place

The author has used not so much a scalpel as a large shovel to write this book, continually heaping work-a-day language onto a fiery plot which keeps blazing away until the last page. The story describes how Paul, a gormless 17-year-old, gets mixed up with a mildly criminal protest group which accidentally becomes more than interesting to government forces out to keep state secrets. The seedy side of living in a dope-sodden squat is well caught, and the questions asked, in this case about the existence and potential impact of so many CCTV cameras, are highly pertinent. This is not always an elegant read, with the main narration sometimes sharing the same verbal short-cuts used by its young characters. But excitement certainly grows as everything starts spinning dangerously out of control, with Paul very relieved to return home by the end, having by now had enough of covert operations to last him a lifetime. Most readers his age or younger will surely agree with him while still enjoying his grim adventures.