Nirvana's
Children
UQP:
Young Adult Fiction
132p
pbk
0-7022-3215-7
Category:
Humour
Nirvana's
Children is a surreal glimpse into the perspective of someone who sees the
darker side of life. Napoleon! You'd think with a name like that, you'd be ready
to conquer the universe... As if. I can't even conquer my own brains.
Napoleon Taal is a prisoner of his knowledge, the knowledge that one day, the time bomb of hatred inside him will explode, and he will end up scraping out a menial existence on the surface of the planet, like the people he hates most: adults. So he runs, trying to break free and escape, escape from the troubles in his home and the troubles in his mind. The glitter of King's Cross is calling and Napoleon doesn't want to resist. He then meets Blondie, who rescues him from the relentless toll of life on the streets (or so he thinks). Napoleon soon learns that the neon lights of the city don't burn as brightly as he hoped, and there is no knight in shining armour to rescue him at he end of the day.
Poignant and complex, interlaced with touches of dark and devilish humour, Nirvana's Children is a journey of self-discovery. Intense, passionate, and blatantly honest, Nirvana's Children challenges the readers, making them consider: did Napoleon ever find Nirvana? An engaging read, utilising a unique perspective that will appeal to older readers.
Gail, aged 15,
Canberra, ACT
