Genre:
Crime Fiction
Description:
Danny
Gibson is in a home for young offenders, in for a stretch after
previous bad behavior. He has to prove to his teachers and
psychologist that he’s a reformed character before he can be
released. But that’s difficult after a lifetime of running wild on
the streets of Belfast and when his fellow ‘inmates’ are trying
to get him in trouble. Danny knows only one way to act, until he
meets Conan that is.
Author:
Gerard
Brennan lives in Northern Ireland with his family and recently
completed an MA in creative writing at Belfast University. Gerard has
previously published several other works including the novel, Wee
Rockets, a novella, The Point, several short story collections and
contributed to a number of anthologies.
You can
learn more about Gerard on his website or follow him on Facebook.
Appraisal:
Gerard
Brennan is one of my favourite authors. He writes highly accomplished
and gritty crime fiction. However, underneath the vast majority of
his stories are softer human elements, the characters often existing
in a dog-eat-dog world but fighting to be something more. One example
is Bouncer,
a short story from the previously reviewed Other
Stories…
Danny is
one of the main characters from Wee
Rockets. His incarceration is
supposed to turn him around, but as usual he’s simply revolting
against the regime and fighting for position with his peers. Danny is
unlikely to ever conform.
Then he
comes across Conan Quinlan, who, of course, gets nicknamed The
Barbarian. Conan is a gentle giant and displays some distinctly odd
behavior at times. Danny isn’t sure whether he’s friend or foe.
Whether he’s disabled or not. But they quickly, and unexpectedly
(to Danny at least) form an increasingly strong bond.
The boys
are offered some community support work at a nearby castle – time
outside the institution is very rare – but Danny takes events into
his own hands and a really touching and emotional series of events
occurs. The element Mr. Brennan handles so well is that another
person, loaded with his own problems, is what ultimately begins
Danny’s transformation, not the rigidity of routine, law and
psychology.
Overall Wee
Danny is a powerful and
touching story of friendship over adversity and disability. I’m not
ashamed to admit I spent the majority of the tale smiling my stupid
head off. Excellent writing in a small package that’s brought to a
great conclusion with an economy of words. Perhaps Mr. Brennan’s
best work to date. It’s no accident that another excellent Irish
writer, Colin Bateman, rates him so highly.
FYI:
Adult
language
Added
for Reprise Review: Wee
Danny was a nominee in the
Crime Fiction category for B&P 2014 Readers' Choice Awards.
Original review ran August 8, 2013.
Format/Typo
Issues:
None.
Rating:
***** Five stars
Reviewed
by: Keith Nixon
Approximate
word count: 15-20,000 words
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