Toby Litt is becoming synonymous with modern British 'hip lit', and while he is a genuinely talented writer, there are times in Deadkidsongs when it feels like Litt is trying too hard to remain trendy, and ensure himself of a good review in The Guardian. Set sometime in the 1970s - the precise date is unclear - Deadkidsongs follows the adventures of a group of four young boys, 'Gang'. A lot of people will have probably been involved in that sort of club as a child - a close-knit, exclusive group of friends with 'us against the world' beliefs. Gang take it a bit too far. They are obsessed by war, and feel sure that one will come ...  Read the complete review

'Deadkidsongs' is described on the inside cover as 'a cross between Just William and Lord of the Flies'. In all honesty, this must be one of the most terrifying novels I've come across for a long time, indeed it was so engaging that time simply ceased to become relevant (even less than usual) to my world until the final page was turned. Toby Litt writes a refreshingly original novel which refuses to lie down and go away and probably the most haunting aspect of 'Deadkidsongs' is that this could feasibly happen to anyone. Days after finishing this it will still lurk intrusively in the recesses of your conscious since the concept is undeniably ...  Read the complete review