Nicholas Camm Brilliant

Enjoyed the book , can’t help hoping for a different outcome, love the dulcet tones of Nicholas Camm , which is why I chose the book

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Very powerful.

I was hugely impressed by this well balanced book, aimed at Young Adults, and with a hard hitting message. In my opinion, it managed to show both sides of the Israeli, Palestinian situation, how each fears the other and suffers as a result. (Although it never actually mentions these countries by name).

Joshua is a teenager, living in Amarias, with his mother and her new husband. His father died serving in the army, but Joshua never understood who he had been fighting against and his father made a point of never leaving the house in his uniform. Liev, Joshua's step-father, is a very different man, who has strong opinions about the threat posed by 'The Other Side'.

When Joshua's football goes over a wall into a building site, he climbs over to retrieve it and stumbles upon a tunnel that stretches beyond the wall into an area that represents The West Bank of Palestine. Of course he can't resist investigating and what he sees and learns from this and subsequent visits, will change him forever.

Not only does this book offer teenage readers a look at both sides, but the main character, Joshua, presents a good moral character, trying his very best to do what he feels is right, even when it is frightening, and even dangerous to do so. Unfortunately not all his actions have favourable outcomes and in this respect the story is very realistic. It reminded me very much of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, both were highly effective novels.

I should mention the excellent narrator, Nicholas Camm, who did an excellent job of reading this novel. Highly recommended to all ages, but particularly effective for teenagers.

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Heart-wrenching!

aWhenm I started reading this, I was a little unsure of where it was going....
It was definetly based aon a real wall, but I could not place it. I thought maybe it was set in post war euope and the wall referred to the Berlin wall, but the further I read, the more obvious it became - and I will not ruin it by telling you where it is set!
Its a heart-wrenching tale of a young boy who does not understand war and a young girl and her family who do understand it - all too well!
Very well written! Although if I am being critical, I felt that the end was a little rushed.

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A Gripping Story

What did you like most about The Wall?

A view of life through an adolescent's eye

What did you like best about this story?

I was thoroughly engaged. I found myself laughing out loud and on occasion crying.

What does Nicholas Camm bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

He captured the adolescent voice perfectly

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

belief in essential goodness

Any additional comments?

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. It will stay with me for some time. My test of good writing is that it engenders emotion and this story does this and more. I couldn't stop listening

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Carnegie Medal Shortlist

If you could sum up The Wall in three words, what would they be?

Future, Hope, Peace

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The final scene when Joshua decides what he wants to achieve in the future and how he is going to do it.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I didn't cry during the story but I was left with hope.

Any additional comments?

Brilliant book hope it wins the Carnegie Medal.

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