dunno
Reviews of dunno
Peter Inson has constructed and modelled his own teenager: a boy who finds school and his mother's new boyfriend utterly
repulsive, and steals to pay back a never-ending loan to enterprising young shark Dean and his older brother.
Inson's insight into the mind of this character is greatly convincing and has been written in a style as far from
patronising as possible, which makes this portrait of a dysfunctional teenager a worthwhile read.
Independent on Sunday.
Peter Inson describes this teenager as a "reject", but as the headmaster of a large west London comprehensive for
several years, Inson has certainly had insight into the teenager's mind. Perhaps that's why his first novel, "dunno,"
seems to capture the teenage voice so well. That teenager is Jon, to whom life has dealt a pretty bad hand: bullies at
school, money troubles at home, a violent stepfather casting a shadow over his life, and infinite repayments on a loan,
which forces him into criminal activity. Then Jon meets someone who helps him see that life can be worth living. It's
then that Inson's implicitly depressing subject matter becomes upbeat. Fluent, engaging writing for adults and teenagers
alike.
The Sunday Express.
I came across this book completely by chance, and I am so glad I did. In fact I am putting a copy into the Retiring Rooms at
both the Youth court and Family Court where I sit as I think all magistrates who deal with young people would benefit from
reading it.
This is the story of six months in the life of a fifteen year-old boy called Jon. The only child of a single mother of 32, his
life has been one of physical and emotional poverty and abuse. He is a truant from a school system that he doesn't understand,
and which doesn't understand him.
From a young age he has drifted into petty crime, and now cannot see any other way of living. His life is a complete misery as
he is caught between a loveless home, a rigid education system, and the threatening attentions of other criminal bullies - his
future seems bleak to say the least.
However as a result of an injury he sustained when breaking and entering his own home, he has to go to A and E at the local
hospital where the male nurse who stitches his wound manages to get through to him, and slowly he finds another way of living
through encountering adults who do not threaten of browbeat him. The solutions he finds may well not be what society wants or
expects but they turn his thinking and way of life around sufficiently to move him in a more positive direction where he has some
hope of coping with adulthood without becoming one of those individuals who spend their adult lives in prison or on the dole.
The language is strong and realistic, the tone is never patronising and the author doesn't offer any hard and fast answers to
Jon's problems, just possibilities.
I see youths like Jon in both the Youth and Family Courts over and over again. This is the first novel I have come across
which exposes the lives of those who live well below our radar, the underbelly of our society. The news media has been full
of stories of ASBOs hoodies, feral youths and so on, reflecting the glib comments made by our politicians - Jon is a hoodie
if ever there was one, and whilst reading this book I felt moved by David Cameron's instruction to hug a hoodie. If I could
have given Jon a hug I would have done so immediately, he so desperately needed one,
A teenage book for adults, and an adult book for teenagers, it may open your eyes.
This book has not had the publicity it deserves, as the author self-published it in 2004 and it did not have the PR machine
of the big publishing houses behind it. Peter Inson was an English teacher, and eventualy Head of large comprehensive school
in Acton, west London. He then taught at an international school in Switzerland for five years.
Herschelian - September 7th 2006
A more credible account than most of how things are in a stratum of Britain it's more comfortable to ignore. You have to
admire Inson's willingness to get into this hostile world full-on. The core of the book is an ambitious and compassionate
fictional case study of Jon's life at the bottom of the stack on a featureless city estate.
Geoff Fox, Books for Keeps.
Very, very moving. I wanted my teenage sons to read it.
Sue Wardell, bookseller, on BBC Radio Lancashire.
We feed our teenagers fantasy when what they need is fiction that reflects and empathises with their increasingly
complicated plight. Until Harry Potter and the Crackhead's Expulsion hits the bookshelves, kids will have to rely on
dunno to provide a realistic account of childhood with language that they use and understand.
Peter Kennedy. Sudbury Times.
A cool book. This should get your teens reading.
Woman. Sep 19th 2005.
This is a starkly honest novel about a 15-year-old named Jon who lives a hopeless and bleak existence on the edge of
society. He has no hope and no conscience; stealing and roughing up younger kids barely causes a flicker of thought.
He doesn't see any alternatives to his hardscrabble way of life. Now, this could turn into a novel of hope, like a lot
of books do. A story where the lead character learns a lesson about his evil ways, or through some great epiphany, finds
a way to live a better life. The back copy suggests that might be the case: "Jon wants to survive. Once he finds Jimmy
and Paul, he realizes he can take control." Yes, it could be that type of novel. But it isn't.
While Jon does claw his way up to a bit more stability, this novel is too honest to paint too rosy colored a picture at
the end of the book. Jon doesn't find a compelling teacher that makes him decide school is great. He doesn't come into a
great deal of money. He and his mother don't fall into a Leave It to Beaver pattern. That's what makes this an interesting
novel. Jon is lost, but so are the adults -- those who'd like to help him and those who could care less. It's an all
too-common story, no matter what side of the big pond you are on (the story is set in England).
While I didn't love all of the writer's style and I did trip up a few times on phrases that must be common in England
but not here in the States, I recommend this novel for anyone who wants a realistic and gritty look at the life of a
down-and-out teenager. Recommended for ages 12 and up, but more preferably 14 and up.
Kimberly Pauley YA Books Central (US) Nov 2005.
Insight into teenage life. Dunno….a useful word in the life of fifteen year old Jon helping him to escape the relentless
and useless questioning of adults. Peter Inson's book is an intense insight into how difficult teenage life can become.
Feelings of futility and anger at a situation he can't seem to affect are well expressed; you feel you are reading Jon's
thoughts. You can almost feel yourself siding with him in any given confrontation, his thinking swaying your point of view.
The occasional injection of another character's thoughts give an overlying context to the world in which Jon operates
showing him a freedom that is very close yet seemingly unattainable. I found a slight drawback in the flashbacks to the
main characters earlier childhood.
Although they were necessary in explaining his situation and understanding his character, they had a tendency to blend in
to the main text leaving you momentarily confused. dunno is a realistic representation of one aspect of teenage life, both
convincing and poignant in its approach, a great read for both teenagers and adults.
Perth Life. Oct 2005