Marine Boy

Howard Cunnell received critical acclaim for his editing of the original scroll of Jack Kerouac's On the Road. This is his first novel.

At the heart of the novel lies the relationship between Kim (the narrator) and his older brother Scott. Set on the south coast of England, Cunnell's hard-hitting and frequently tough novel follows the tribulations of the local skinhead gang intent on claiming the local drug market from their Persian rivals, with all of the turmoil and complications that surrounds their struggle. A tale of blood and discovery, Cunnell's vivid imagery, taught dialogue and harsh observations brings the contradictions of a small town boy with a big sky mind into stark reality.

'Scott told me once, they all tell you to think, the boss or your teachers, but just wait until what you think is different from them. Then you'll nd out they didn't mean it. We were standing on wet sand just before dark as the tide went out and we couldn't hear the hum of the town for the rushing sound of the sea. What I'm looking for is out there, he said, nodding his head toward the darkening water. Me too, I said.'


Genre: Literary Fiction