Tom Cox (1) (1979–)

Nothing wrong with it. Tom and his cats are interesting and deserve our support, even if it's only a circulation number at the library. But the book is so slight. A little humor, a little poignancy, a bit about Tom, a bit about friends and family... all add up to "ok, now what." I guess I'm supposed to read more of his books... but I don't feel the need to.

I guess my main problem is that I never felt like I really knew the cats. They didn't come alive for me. The cats I knew were nothing like these. Maybe it's me. Maybe if I saw videos of them, heard their special meows and purrs, heard Ralph say his own name... maybe then I'd like the book better.… (more)

1983 follows Benji Moss as he traverses a year in which he turns from 7 years old to 8. Set in a Nottinghamshire mining village not far from the border with Derbyshire but close enough to Nottingham for many of the characters to work and visit there, it is a novel about a specific place and the people formed by it. There's a school at the heart of it, where children are nurtured to become everything they possibly could be. It's not all golden nostalgia, though. There is tension between people who view the world in very different ways. There are bullies. But there are more of the people who are trying to do their best with the hand life has dealt them, working to make something good of life.

Benji is convinced that he is from another planet and that aliens are on their way to return him to his home. He's partly right. There are aliens, but their mission is something very different. They are a glimpse of a future that might also be humanity's. Their exploration of Nottingham and the villages on its outskirts raises a lot of the humour in the book. Other characters bring more humour, through bad dad jokes, comedic misunderstandings, and getting into daft scrapes.

Benji's parents are twin beacons in his life. His mum, Cath, is the kind of beautiful soul who unshowily gets on with helping others, creating a home environment that allows Benji to thrive, and a school environment where learning is fun. His dad, Pete, is a worrier who tries to hide his anxiety by being the life and soul of the party, but he always comes through with what's needed. They are utterly believable. All of the characters are. As the book progresses, they feel like friends.

The book is quietly political, identifying 1983 as a moment in time when things began to change in the UK, not necessarily for the better. It questions the morals of the time, suggesting that we are where we are now because of what happened then. I found it persuasive.

I was completely charmed by the story and I did not want it to end.… (more)