Friday, December 01, 2006

Reading: Acid Row

This is the second Minette Walters' novel I've read and I enjoyed it more than the Shape of Snakes. I was totally sucked into the atmosphere and world of the novel, and grew to fear what would happen to some of the characters.

It is set in a run-down estate, which riots when the inhabitants discover a sex offender is living amongst them and a young girl in the town goes missing. It's an interesting look at the "moral panic" and hysteria such knowledge creates.

The offender himself is an ephebophile and poses little risk to young children: his victims were lads just below age of consent, who were actually willing participants, (although the law does not recognise that). I think this was an interesting choice for Walters'. To have a stereotypical paedophile - it would make the character completely unsympathetic, and it would be harder to blur the good vs evil aspect of the story. But it also feels a little like taking the easier route... Hmm. But I guess her point is that it isn't back and white and the label covers a whole range of offences.

I enjoyed this book and it raised some interesting questions.

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