Time Bomb
by Nigel Hinton
Published by Tricycle Press(to come)
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at Amazon.com
Reviewed by Andrea Sisco
It's July 22, 1949 in England. Eleven-year-old Andy and his three friends Manny, Bob and Eddie, are waiting for the last day of primary school to end. It should have been a happy day. But a misunderstanding and misstatement make it a bad day and sets off a chain reaction that will impact them for the rest of their lives.
The boys discover an unexploded bomb buried in their private play area (the Big Brown Hill) and vow to each other that they will keep it secret. In many ways, the bomb represents the anger, sometimes rage, disillusionment and sadness the boys feel about the world, their parents, teachers and their own behavior. The secret, however, has disastrous consequences.
Hinton deals with loyalty, racism, mortality, morality, and self-awareness in his stunning young adult novel. His plot is scintillating and the prose draws the reader into another time and place with such compelling intensity that one literally loses track of time while reading. It's alternately a lovely, yet dark story that you can't shake.
Time Bomb is, to date, the best 2006 young adult novel I've read.
Armchair Interviews says: It is highly recommended for both girls and boys.