Candy

This book isn't sugarcoated, it isn't oversimplified, and it isn't fake. Joe's almost obsessive attraction to the mysterious, charismatic 'Candy' makes for a page-turning read. It is authentic, everything from Joe's thoughts to the dialogue. I loved that Mr Brooks was able to get down both Joe's civilized and sensitive voice, and then the hard, street dialogue of characters like Iggy. So many authors, when writing a book... Read Full Review

"Candy", a novel by Kevin Brooks, is quite simply one of the best YA novels I've read in the past few years. The book's subject matter is not exactly joyful; prostitution and drug use and abuse are parts of the plot, but looking past that, the story really is captivating. It starts with the story's protagonist, Joe, getting lost in an underclass neighborhood. He hears a girl shout out at him. He's amazed by her looks, and... Read Full Review

"Candy," Brooks' fourth compelling novel, portrays the life of a suburaban teenager from the right side of the tracks who unwillingly falls deparately in love with a girl he meets on the streets during a trip to London. However, this girl is no sweet innocent angel. Candy is a prostitute who's addicticted to Heroin, and soon Joe is dragged into her world of desperation. Will a run-in with Candy's pimp become fatal? Or will... Read Full Review

Who doesn't crave a piece of sugary goodness every now and then? A morsel of the sweetness can lift our spirits and put a smile on our faces. Joe Beck is obsessed with Candy. But Joe's Candy is not a confection. Candy is a girl. And she is not your average teen. Candy holds secrets and lives a dark world. Little does Joe know, but once he becomes entrapped in Candy's world, his life will never be the same. In the opening... Read Full Review

I will be the first to admit that this book takes an amount of experience to fully understand. If you're too young and haven't experience some of the things in this book, it will be boring, and if you lived the sheltered life then it won't do you much good either. Candy is a book that is written in a format that is not often seen in the literary world. Whereas most novels attempt to make their sentences and paragraphs form... Read Full Review