What a quirky book. Tells the story of Adam who lives with his mother and sister and his grandfather in a housing commission estate in the UK. His father has beaten him and his mother and has caused brain damage in his little sister Farah so she cannot talk, only use sign language. When his grandfather dies in hospital, he wills his heart to be transplanted into William, the man who shared a ward with him. William finds out who's heart he has and goes to visit Adam's family and becomes a family friend as he feels part of their dynamic.
Meanwhile Adam feels distanced from his mother because every time she looks at him, she sees her violent ex-husband and so never hugs him or smiles at him. Adam finds solace in his art work and spends his time drawing what he sees around him, the girl he fancies Lalia and also graffiting some abandoned trains.
This is a story about friendship, family and love. It has a powerful ending with Adam's mother standing up to the gossiping community members in the Community Hall. very different book. ( )

I really enjoyed this novel. Obviously YA but dealing with important themes - style not unlike David Almond ( )