The Climbers

Here’s another classy novel from Barrington Stoke, continuing to prove that a short novel in brief chapters and a stripped-down vocabulary, in the hands of novelists at the top of their game, can serve up an exciting and thought provoking read. Keith Gray has history in the portrayal of how young men think and act: the bravado and the vulnerability. This tale of teenage rivalry is told by Sully, who finds his claim to be the best climber in the village challenged by an incomer known only by the name of the town he has come from, Nottingham. Perfectly put together in six chapters that move from tree to tree across the recreation ground, it features both the climbing contests themselves, the way that Sully deals with the challenge to his self-esteem and his place in the hierarchy of the village kids, and his developing understanding of himself and Nottingham that comes at a cost to both of them. A thrilling mix of suspense and psycho-drama, all in just over 100 pages.