Complex and Unusual
- Book: I’m Not Scared
- Location:
- Author: Niccolò Ammaniti
Translated into English by Jonathan Hunt and written by Italian author Ammaniti, this is a very dark yet compelling childhood tale – with many similiarities to Lord Of The Flies.
The account of nine-year old Michele’s summer during 1978 in the tiny village of Acqua Traverse deep in the Italian countryside. Michele’s days revolve around his friends and his little sister Maria – the children spend their time playing and roaming the countryside, the adults in the village dont venture out until night fall as the heat is unbearable.
One day whilst paying a forfeit to their gang leader Skull, Michele chances upon a terrible secret. Michele becomes more and more confused throughout the next few weeks as he tries to make sense of what is happening in his little village and also discovers the reality about his Father and close friends.
Ammaniti is very clever at relaying the thought processes of little Michele and the translation is wonderful. The reader gains an increasing sense of fear as the story unfolds and we can pre-empt what may be happening before innocent little Michele realises.
A real page-turner, and at 225 pages easily read in one sitting. With a fairly shocking, yet left open ending, this book really did the spot.
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