I loved this – read it in one sitting, on my last day of holiday in Shanghai. I’m sure it’s a novel that will resonate more with thirtysomethings than other age groups, and particularly those who grew up outside London, but it is a great story of events in a tricky teenage year, told from the perspective of an articulate (albeit stammer-afflicted), emotionally well developed boy/young man.
In terms of style – and David Mitchell does have a reputation for his Cloud Atlas and Ghostwritten structure – Black Swan Green‘s “normal” narrative makes a refreshing change from the plot/character/literary style onion skins of previous novels.
Amazon.co.uk link: Black Swan Green – David Mitchell