The Deviants

By Author / Illustrator

C.J. Skuse

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

11+

Publisher

HarperCollins Publishers

ISBN

9781848455269

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

22-09-2016

Synopsis

'A tale of revenge, righteousness and recovery with a heart-stopping twist - The Guardian

Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves

THEN
Ella, Max, Corey, Fallon and Zane.

The Fearless Five, inseparable as children growing up in a sleepy English seaside town. But when Max's older sister is killed, the friendship seems to die with her.

NOW

Only Max and Ella are in touch, still best friends and a couple since they were thirteen. But Ella is hiding things - like why she's afraid to take their relationship to the next level. And when underdog Corey is bullied, the Fearless Five are brought back together again, teaming up to wreak havoc and revenge on those who have wronged them.

But when the secrets they are keeping can no longer be kept quiet, will their fearlessness be enough to save them from themselves?

'Electrifying, bold, brilliant'
-Amanda Craig

Reviews

Ella is a future Olympic hopeful nicknamed 'Volcano Girl' for her speed out of the starting blocks. Training at every opportunity and sponsored by her childhood boyfriend's wealthy parents, life should be perfect. But things are never as they seem and nothing has been the same since the Fearless Five broke up. Friends since forever, Ella, Max, Corey, Fallon and Zane have not recovered since Max's older sister Jessica died. Long kept secrets are trying to surface and revenge is the first thing on Ella's mind. Peppered throughout with strong sexual references, startling revelations and events, this book is not for the faint hearted. Each of the characters has some sort of trauma in their lives and these are revealed piece by piece as secrets get revealed and revenge is carried out. It reminded me slightly of The Bunker Diary as the author's storytelling is stark, dark and unemotional in much the same way. The ending was frustrating but also satisfying and perhaps this was the only viable option for the author, to say any more would give the plot away. This will appeal to students that like a mystery and hard hitting topics. Due to the sexual references this is definitely for mature older readers only, perhaps even for 16+ years. 333 pages / Ages 16+ / Reviewed by Lorraine Ansell, school librarian.