This one feels a bit like a fresh twist on The Outsiders, in spirit if not in plot directly.

It’s an easy premise to get into quickly, and it’s a good thing that’s the case because this is a short read. Normally I find a short novel a good reset after slogging through a lot of the longer books I tend to favor, but some of the more plot-driven offerings in shorter fiction suffer from a lack of space to develop the story properly, and that’s a bit of the issue with Trick.

The bones of the story aren’t really anything new, but they don’t necessarily need to be if the author can make them their own. This story had that potential, but it feels like it was taken out of the proverbial oven a little too soon.

The secondary characters suffered from this as well, remaining mostly two dimensional and archetypal, which is too bad because Trick is actually an excellent character who deserves a more nuanced supporting cast.

A really great coming of age story of a certain time and place, with the backdrop of the 90's. I whizzed through it, very enjoyable.

A great YA debut about growing up as an outsider in a small village in the 90s; well written and good to read. Addresses issues of race, fitting in, teenage angst amongst others.

Being the only Black kid in a small town makes 15-year-old Trick an easy target for bullies. The only bright spot in his life is Kelly, the girl he secretly loves, who hardly knows he's alive but who, someday, he will let know his feelings.

However, everything changes when Kelly speaks up for him against a bully. As pleased as he is that she did, he knows that, if the bullies think he'd let a girl fight for him, things will only get worse. So when the bully, who is much bigger than Trick, challenges him to a schoolyard fight, he has no choice but to accept. But, when the bully tries to call in his friends when Trick proves harder to beat than expected, an older, tougher kid steps in to help Tick. Now, suddenly Trick finds himself a member of a gang with a bad reputation. Truth is though, mostly, they're just kids with little hope for the future who just smoke a lot of dope and listen to heavy metal. That is, until one afternoon when they're trying to come up with easy ways to make some quick cash. It's mostly just goofing around until Trick jokingly suggests they rob the local grocery.

When I first saw Trick by Sean Hancock listed on Netgalley, I really wasn't expecting much. I just wanted a quick entertaining read but nothing out of the ordinary and this sounded like it would fit the bill. So I was more than a little surprise when I discovered how much I enjoyed this book. It is a well-written and interesting coming-of-age story that will, I believe, appeal both to kids and adults as it touches on issues of friendship, race, bullying, and the socio-economic impact of living in a small dead end town with few avenues for kids either for recreation or for their futures. But most of all, it is a compelling story with characters easy to empathize with and great dialogue that keeps the story moving at a fast pace. Absolutely a high recommendation from me.

One caveat: the author doesn't shy away from using racial slurs that will likely (hopefully) make readers uncomfortable. They aren't however, used gratuitously simply to shock but work within the confines of the story.

<i>Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review</i>

Pues vamos allá con el comentario de esta novela. He estado dudando entre cuatro y tres estrellas, y al final me he decantado por "bajarle la nota". Explico los motivos a continuación.
LA TRAMA: Richard Trick, un adolescente de color, se enrola en una pandilla de maleantes del pueblo donde vive. Y tiene la feliz ocurrencia de atracar el supermercado del pueblo. En principio la cosa sale bien (o al menos lo parece), pero luego se va complicando.
LO MEJOR: El principio del libro consigue enganchar. Y, además de esta historia, hay otra con igual importancia que trata el intento de ligoteo de Trick con Kelly, la chica que le gusta.,
LO PEOR:
- El final. Flojísimo, y con un cliffhanger totalmente innecesario.
- El desenlace está muy poquito trabajado.
- El uso del slang constante en los diálogos complica la lectura (pero eso es fallo del lector por no dominarlo).
Lo dicho. Tres y va bien.

While I'm not someone that typically picks up YA novels, this one intrigued me - while it's certainly a coming of age story, it certainly has more adult themes than a typical YA novel. The writing was good, and I think the descriptions were great - I felt like I could see the setting(s) clearly and really envision myself there. The writing is laid back and simplistic, not too flowery or overly wordy; along with the age group, I think the writing style was the other big part of the novel that gave it a YA vibe. The main character, Trick, was the most likeable and relatable, and in my opinion was the only character that showed any real character development. He made some dumb decisions, but what teenager doesn't? I personally think a flawed character is a more realistic and therefore more likeable character. The other characters were more one-dimensional to me. While it takes place in the past, the book handles some delicate issues, including race and socioeconomic status, which I think make it a particularly relevant book in today's world. Overall I'm glad to have read this book and would recommend it for a quick but deep coming of age story.

Sean Hancock puts you in the shoes of Trick, the only black guy in a small town in England during the 90's and lets you get a glimp of what it's like to be 15, different and trying to figure out what you can get out of life.
Trick and his mates come up with a plan to rob the local supermarket, miraculously this works and the money they get is a lot more than they were expecting. This sets a chain of events in motion that makes Trick wonder about what is right, wrong and how can he get that good future he wants.
You sometimes want to kick him in the butt for the decisions he makes, but you also understand why he makes them. Hancock does a good job of making you go back in time to when you were 15, 16, 17 and maybe making stupid mistakes yourself. The way the boys are speaking feels authentic and I had fun seeing where it would lead.
I didn't feel like the story was done when I closed the book, but that was alright...I was taken for a nostalgic trip down memory lane and I get the feeling Trick will be okay. Good book!

*** An ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for a honest review ***

An enjoyable story with a likeable lead character. I thought this book was particularly strong when it came to the ensemble of characters and their dialogue together; they really jumped off the page and drew you into the world Trick had become a part of. The ending felt a little bit over-sensationalised for me; up until then the author had given us a naturalistic take on a teen boy's life, so Trick's final actions felt bold maybe to the point of implausible. That said, an enjoyable read overall.

Description 🔖

Trick lives in a small country town, he’s fifteen and he’s the only black kid locally. He falls into a crowd of guys that aren’t really going anywhere in life and he wins them over when he suggests that they rob the local supermarket. He doesn’t truly think they will follow through, but he can’t go back on the idea. Once the deed is done, things start to take a huge downwards spiral and rather than be sucked into it all, Trick starts to realise that he wants far more from his life.

General Thoughts 🤔

I was really pleasantly surprised with this book. Not that I went into it with low expectations; more like no expectations and it turned out I really enjoyed it. I’m sure a lot of people could relate to at least one part of this book whether it be struggling to understand who you are and what you want when you’re in your teens or lusting after the fittest girl/boy in your year. What I definitely wasn’t expecting was the small things that I would relate to regarding race. The subtle things like can I touch your hair? or where are you from? (really meaning what is your heritage). Growing up in a predominantly white area and one of very few non-white people in my school, these are all things that I experienced in my teens. At the time I can’t say that I was ever offended but looking back, I suppose it did instil a feeling of “different” in me.

I thought the story line was great and I was engaged with the plot and the characters right from the beginning. I thought it was quite an easy going read but at the same time I still looked forward to going back for each chapter.

Characters 👬👭👫

Of course Trick is the main character in the book and I thought he was an absolute sweetheart. Yes, he made some stupid decisions and yes I wanted to give him a kick up the backside to be honest with himself and his friends, but I could not help but love him. I was rooting for Trick to realise that he didn’t have to settle and have the confidence in himself to go after what he wanted.

I’m sure a lot of people can think back to a group of friends from their teenage years that were just like Trick’s friends. All bravado and little else more. The type of kids that think they run the show but their lives really never go anywhere. It was obvious to me from the start that Trick was not like the other boys but they were a group that accepted him into the fold and offered him protection; what fifteen year old boy in Trick’s shoes wouldn’t have made nice with them?

I understand that with so many characters in a relatively short novel, it must be difficult to flesh out all of them. However I felt like there was so much more I wanted to know about a few of the characters.

Writing Style ✍️

I thought that the book was written with quite a laid back tone. It’s a coming of age story and it’s written in a way that accurately reflects that time in people’s lives. I liked the colloquialisms that were used and I also really admired that the author did not shy away from using racial slurs in the text. It’s offensive and it probably makes a lot of people squirm, but it is truth and it happens all too often. Reading it doesn’t feel half as uncomfortable as being on the receiving end of it.

Conclusion & Scoring 🎖️

Overall I really enjoyed this story and found it to be a great read. It took me back quite some years and it felt quite comforting to recognise some things from my teen years reflected back at me. I fell in love with Trick and if there is ever a Trick continued, I’d love to read it.

This was a fantastic read! I was into this book from the very start. The writing was wonderful, the story moved, and everything felt fresh. I truly appreciated this book and have so many great things to say. In the last 2 chapters, I could tell the final plot points, but I am not upset that I was able to figure it out--the story was told well, and I did not feel like anything was overly predictable, especially since I did not figure out all the steps of the ending, meaning the author was able to flesh out the story a bit more than what one may predict. I have nothing negative to say, I really enjoyed this book and am SO happy to give it my first 5 star review of 2021.

As much about relationships as mystery, this is an unusual book. Overlaid with challenging questions about what it is like to be the exception, the lead character is appealing even when it seems he shouldn’t be. Unashamedly human, this book will challenge as much as it entertains.

I really enjoyed this book, a great coming of age story about “Trick” the only black boy in a small, dead end town. While his friends seem like no hopers leading him astray, you really feel for the main character who as many teenagers do hides his true thoughts and emotions whilst trying to appear cool. I could see this being adapted into a tv drama or film.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.