John Curl

I received this novel as a LibraryThing giveaway in return for a review. Set in New York of the 1950s during the McCarthy Era, this novel initially seems to be about a small group of ten year olds who wanting to 'find their own space' discover an area of undeveloped land inaccessible by any but the most intrepid. There they set up a hide out, develop friendships and slowly come to understand some of the pressures their companions are facing in their home lives. The language is simple enough for a young adult to understand.
The title refers to a holiday place called maroon (like the colour) where one of the boys goes for summer holidays and he has promised a friend he can come too. Now it looks like the land has been taken away and there will be no summer holiday in a place of freedom and where they can be outlaws.
The second half of the book becomes darker and yet funnier, for it is now that we see the adults and what is really happening. Some of the teachers in the school are being accused of UnAmerican activities, other adults are aiming to get land to build a highrise, Parents are agents, and have enrolled their children into the school to subvert it from the inside. Mayhem and chaos occur as indeed they should. In the end, the book has a satisfying conclusion.… (mehr)