- Hardcover: 224 pages
- Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (April 13 2010)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0385738226
- ISBN-13: 978-0385738224
- Product Dimensions: 15.1 x 2.1 x 21.7 cm
- Shipping Weight: 340 g
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #591,650 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Product Description
Paul Vanderman could be at any normal high school where bullies, girls, and annoying teachers are just part of life. But “normal” doesn’t apply when it comes to the school’s biggest bully, Roth—a twisted and threatening thug with an evil agenda.
When Paul ends up delivering a message from Roth to the leader of a gang at a nearby school, it fuels a rivalry with immediate consequences. Paul attempts to distance himself from the feud, but somehow Roth keeps finding reasons for him to stick around. Then one day Roth hands him a knife. And even though Paul is scared, he has never felt so powerful.
When Paul ends up delivering a message from Roth to the leader of a gang at a nearby school, it fuels a rivalry with immediate consequences. Paul attempts to distance himself from the feud, but somehow Roth keeps finding reasons for him to stick around. Then one day Roth hands him a knife. And even though Paul is scared, he has never felt so powerful.
About the Author
Anthony McGowan was born in Manchester, brought up in Leeds, and lives in London. His previous novels for young adults are Hellbent and Jack Tumor.
Inside This Book
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Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3.0 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Knife That Killed Me, Oct 14 2010
By Electrifying Reviews - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Knife That Killed Me (Hardcover)
Before reading, I had heard both good and bad things about The Knife That Killed Me. And I had absolutely no idea what it was about when I started. But, wow am I glad I got the chance to read it because it was really... indescribable.With a story unlike any other I have ever read, The Knife That Killed Me introduced me to a whole new world that I have been sheltered from my whole life. Living in a small, country town in the-middle-of-freaking-nowhere, USA, I had no idea things like this actually happened.
The characters were average, nothing really special. But most of them didn't feel real enough for me to become too emotionally attached to, but some absolutely were. I didn't really like the protagonist, but feel that nobody else could have done the job of the main character justice, other than Paul. Most of the background characters were good too.
The setting was decent. I liked that it was in the UK, but could it have been more described? Yes. Did it need to be? For the most part, no. You got the idea of the area and that gave you big enough hint to what you would be getting later on.
The writing was my biggest problem with the books. It was so just so choppy. I felt like someone was just chucking short sentences at me as fast as they could. And I really couldn't stand it. I knew from the beginning that I would not like the writing, but I manned up and dealt with it.
One thing that bothered me was the actual plot. Does this kind of stuff really go on? I have never heard of anything like this before. Sure, there are gangs in inner-cities, but do they really go to these extremes? If you have read the book and have actually heard of this kind of stuff in real life, please let me know.
The Knife That Killed me was an emotional journey about a boy who goes down the wrong path. And keeps going until it is too late. If you need something to make you think, pick up this book. Before it kills you.
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Knife That Killed Me was a gripping, unmistakably tragic story..., April 13 2010
By LaFemmeReaders "Eleni" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Knife That Killed Me (Hardcover)
The Knife That Killed Me was a gripping, unmistakably tragic story of a teenager spiraling down the wrong path. Paul, the protagonist, was a typical high school student that dealt with normal everyday issues until he started hanging out with the wrong crowd. His school was divided between two type of "gangs." One gang was run by the school's biggest threat and bully, Roth. His violent demeanor was intimidating and sick. Roth found physical pain to be pleasant and encouraged fighting to his followers. Meanwhile, the other "gang" kept to themselves and promoted friendship instead of evil. Around the school they were known as the "freaks" since they were quiet and didn't start trouble, there leader Shane was one of my favorite characters. He was so goodhearted and truly cared about his group. I admired the way he carried himself and how respectful he was to Paul when he first befriended him.In my eyes Paul was a lost soul. He was bound to make a mistake because he couldn't see who his true allies really were. Unfortunately, he started hanging out with Roth and his crew and that's when his life took a turn for the worst. I was disappointed in Paul's choice of friends, however, he was a bit gullible and too much inside his head to focus. There were times where he would ramble and lose himself in memories. Luckily for Anthony's writing it was easy to keep up with Paul's mind. The parts of the book that stood out to me were the one page paragraphs after some of the chapters. In those paragraphs the reader is presented with a flash-forward of the moment before the knife reaches Paul in the rivalry fight. It was insightful and it helped me connect with the emotions he was feeling at the moment. Overall, an interested story with an unforgettable ending.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
Macabre & Disgusting, Oct 26 2010
By Reviewer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Knife That Killed Me (Hardcover)
Paul is a teenager in England who runs with a bad crowd. His school is divided into two camps, unlike real schools which have many types of cliques. Roth is the school ghoul and worst bully. He is truly disgusting. He radiates evil. He is evil.Shane is the opposite. His clique are called freaks. They avoid trouble and do their thing and try to live and let live. Paul gets caught between both cliques, Shane out of goodness and Roth out of fear and feeling that if Roth is not after him, he won't be a target.
Roth is a sadomasochist, but he is more sadistic than masochistic. He even has Paul make a delivery to another school, a specialized school for students with behavior problems. The delivery was to another boy there and what that boy did with the contents of the package Roth sent through Paul was just revolting.
Paul was a tragic figure and he was going to travel down a bad path. You can see that from early on. Shane and his band of "freaks" were the only characters you couuld like. Shane was truly a good person and he treated everyone with respect and he accepted himself. Even so, I didn't like this book and found it ghoulish and macabre.
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