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I Am The Minotaur

Anthony McGowan
Oxford University Press
ISBN: 9780198494874

Matthew - or 'Stinky Mog' as he sometimes gets called - just want to fit in at high school, or at the very least, not be noticed and avoiding school bullies. But this changes when he becomes captivated by the beautiful Ari at school, and when her bike gets stolen, he thinks he has found a way to impress Ari by getting her bike back. Simple surly? Yet the course of first love and stolen bikes never did run smoothly though as Matthew soon finds out...



I Am the Minotaur is an insightful story looking at teenage issues at school but also dealing with home life too and the link between the two, especially that of Matthew who is caring for his mum who has depression as best as he can, and the knock on effect this has on how he turns out for school. His mum's story is very powerful and ultimately positive which is great to see and I hope gives a positive message for people and children who have parents with depression. For me, including the school library in the novel as a place of refuge for Matthew was great to read as for many kids, the library is their safe space. Libraries are about more than just books.



McGowan has woven a clever story around school, bullying and parental depression and what Matthew has gone through in his life. It is a very insightful novel and one I feel will be relevant to a lot of young people who are carers for their parents.



136 pages / Ages 11+ / Reviewed by Stephen Leitch, school librarian

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