This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Reviewed by Jennifer Joyce
Eight years ago, ten-year-old Noah was murdered, pushed off the Humber Bridge by one of his friends. The friend – known as Humber Boy B in court and the press – was also just ten when he was convicted of the murder but now, after spending the past eight years in prison, he is free once again. He has been given a new identity and a fresh start but a life of freedom won’t be easy for him. Now known as Ben, he must learn to live on his own without the strict rules and codes of prison life.
Probation Officer Cate is given the task of integrating Ben back into society and she is concerned when Humber Boy B’s release becomes big news, with a Facebook page set up for the purpose of finding him. They don’t know his new identity, but it’s only a matter of time before Ben is discovered. With the public anger quickly escalating, Ben is put into more and more danger. It’s Cate’s responsibility to keep him safe but there is no stopping the witch hunt.
Humber Boy B sounded like such an intriguing read and I was looking forward to reading it. It took a little while to really get into as I found the opening was quite turbulent, quickly switching from one person’s perspective to another. But the book soon settled down and I began to really enjoy it. I liked that there were different perspectives throughout, switching from the present day to the day the murder took place. We learn about Noah and what happened to him that day bit by bit, the day revealing itself slowly and tantalisingly, which I found captivating. I wanted to know exactly what had happened that day but the information was offered teasingly, keeping me hooked and turning the pages.
For me, Humber Boy B was an interesting read as we really get to know Ben. Although he is a convicted child killer, I couldn’t help being drawn towards him and even sympathising with him. We see how much of a struggle it is for him to adjust to life outside prison and while normally I would think ‘so what? You’re a murderer! It shouldn’t be easy’ I found myself feeling for him and hoping he would figure everything out in the end. We get to go back and see Ben’s childhood and how it shaped him, as well as the events that lead to Noah’s death.I thought the writing of Humber Boy B was fantastic. It drew me into the lives of the Ben and Cate and the people affected by Noah’s death, creating unlikely allegiances. I did think there was a strand involving Cate and her sister that was unnecessary to the plot and only slowed things down and I wasn’t bowled over by the ending as I was expecting a bigger twist, but overall I thought the book was a great, captivating read.
8/10