‘Kill the Possum’ is like ‘Our Little Secret’ in some ways. It lets you into a world where young people are trapped in secrecy and powerlessness. It is a very thought provoking book and filled me with anguish in parts. I could feel the pain and desperation in the young teenage males who had no where to go to save the people they loved. It was frightening they were contemplating murder, yet at another level, understandable. The conclusion was very cleverly written, although not what I wanted to read, it added to the credibility of the story. It was great storywriting.
James Moloney creates such believable characters. He draws you in compassionately and this novel reminds me of the empathy I felt for Karl and his desperate life, in ‘Bridge to Wiseman’s Cove’. I enjoyed these two books but I enjoyed doesn’t seem the right word. They move you, they open you to the shadowy figures around school that you wonder about. They remind you that there are often things going on in lives that you have no idea about. I enjoyed Moloney’s ‘Book of Lies’ and it’s sequel more. I read on his site that he’s releasing the conclusion of that series on July 6. The protagonists in these books endure and face evil, the same, yet the alternate setting makes it more bearable for me.
This novel is for an older reader though and I think when I take it back to the junior campus library, I’ll recommend it goes to the senior campus. There are moral issues that require a mature consideration. There are dilemmas that would be beyond a younger reader I would hope.
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