Only Miranda

A highly readable account of the sub-culture that thrives in every school. Rivalries, loyalties and jealousies between classmates that rarely cause a ripple on the polite, visible surface of classroom activity form the backdrop to a complex interweaving of plots. Miranda's change of school is a consequence of her father's imprisonment for theft. Her friendship with Chrissie seems to fulfil an unspoken need in both of them. When the dinner money goes missing, however, life in the classroom doesn't ripple, it boils and bubbles furiously, producing unexpected consequences. We're treated to a wealth of wonderfully rounded characters here from Mr Wing with his placid, oriental perceptives and brilliant Chow Mien, to Jason Fowler - a stereotypic class 'macho-man'. I loved the cameo sketches too; muscle woman Maxine with her gang of followers and the tense atmospheric 'silence' surrounding the overheard conversation between Mr Forester and Mrs Compton. An exciting read, enjoyable at many levels.