Smart: A mysterious crime, a different detective

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But being a detective is difficult when you're Kieran Woods. When you're amazing at drawing but terrible at fitting in. And when there are dangerous secrets everywhere, not just outside, but under your own roof.

The ending is really wonderful. The final line links delightfully to the title as people finally realise that although Kieran has been repeatedly called insults like “retard” that he is actually incredibly smart and talented. It is equally worth noting that Kieran has trouble learning. Not much is also mentioned about his condition. However, he is quoted severally within the book by the author (Kim slater) saying: “I am a bit different compared to other people. The author also brings out echoes featured in her debut novel of mark haddon’s winning novel about a rather autistic boy shedding more light on the curious incident involving a dog. So bearing that in mind, despite my issues with this aspect of the book it’s an easy recommendation to make on the strength of Kieran’s character. I think fans of thoughtful contemporaries will be really impressed by this debut. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from Kim Slater!Kieren is a young boy living with his mother and evil step-father and step-brother. He has no-one to go talk to now his grandmother stepped out of his life, however he has Jean. But when Jean's friend Colin is found washed up in the river, Kieran's detective skills soon come into play and he finds himself at the centre of a mystery. Will Kieran find out? The pacing of this book was fabulous and the plot wasn’t immediately predictable which is brilliant for a children’s book! Normally I can predict them before I have started reading. I did start to draw parallels between this book and others along similar lines such as The Curious Incident of The Dog In The Night-time and Wonder – books where the protagonist doesn’t fit in and becomes a star in their own right. I like the message that these types of books send out. Overall I would definitely recommend this book but I would be wary of giving it to children – perhaps it is more suitable for 14+? I guess it is all dependent on the maturity of the child though! I was on the edge of giving this book four stars but I decided to go with five, mainly because of the beautiful cover and for Kieran as a character – he alone is worth five stars! But Kieran knows there’s more to the man’s death than that and he makes a promise to Colin, the man whose body he finds, that he’ll uncover the truth of his death, and as he says the words aloud, that means they’re a binding promise. Kieran knows that words are powerful, but equally well, he knows how to handle bad words aimed at him.

Smart is invariably going to attract comparisons with The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, so let’s get that out of the way now and move on. Yes, there’s a young narrator with some unspecified form of Asperger’s or autism, but Kim Slater’s first novel stands on its own two feet and will make a huge impact on anyone who reads it, be they the younger end of the teen market the book is aimed at, or an adult audience. Some of the best mysteries recently have been aimed at slightly younger readers, with the Sesame Seade trilogy, starting with Sesame Seade Mysteries 1: Sleuth on Skates by Clementine Beauvais and Sarah Horne, and The Glass Bird Girl by Esme Kerr probably being my personal favourites. Older teens might appreciate The Patient (A DS Cross thriller) by Tim Sullivan. It’s not easy being Kieran Wood, age unspecified but in Year 9 at school. He knows he’s different to other kids. They laugh at him and call him names, but he has his own coping strategies and is very good at putting them into effect. He has a book he writes things down in, and he keeps his precious notebook hidden inside a Beano album, away from the prying eyes of his stepbrother. Kieran notices things that other people don’t and when he finds the body of a homeless man in the river, he expects the police to take more of an interest in the case, as Kieran believes the man has been murdered. But everyone else seems intent on writing off the death as nothing more than a tragic accident that happened because the man had fallen in the water, too drunk to save himself. I was also pleasantly surprised at the depth into which this book went. Although at first from Kieran’s childish viewpoint you think that it will be a book for younger readers, you soon realise that Slater is using Kieran’s wonderfully innocent voice to comment on the heart-breaking abuse he and his Mum have to suffer daily. With heavy themes like animal abuse, domestic abuse, child abuse, prejudice, racism and bullying and with a narrator like Kieran this book is more than Kieran solving a murder - it has depth, poetic beauty and topical significance.Trapped at home, Calum and Sergi slowly start to understand each other, and even work together to investigate a series of break-ins at the local community centre. But Calum can't help feeling that Sergei's hiding something. Is he really trying to help, or to cover up his own involvement in the crime? Kim Slater not only lives but also works in Nottingham living with her partner together with their one year old daughter. While growing up, she developed an endless urge to read books especially those written by C.S. Lewis and Enid Blyton. As time went by, she slowly mastered story telling skills after penning macabre tales whose main aim purpose was to scare her younger brother. It's a difficult time for Finlay. It's two years since his mother left the family home without any explanation. He is teased at school and essentially ignored by his father at home. Finlay also has a severe stammer, which has worsened since his mother's departure.

Kieran is a unique young man; he is a devout student of criminal investigation from the many fictional detectives about whom he has read and considers himself a master of observation. It is not, however, until Kieran happens upon the body of a homeless man that Kieran's skills are put to practice. The crime aspect was less to my tastes, if I’m honest. Compared to other recent strong mysteries like The Glass Bird Girl by Esme Kerr and Murder Most Unladylike (Wells & Wong Mystery 1) by Robin Stevens, it didn't feel like enough of a puzzle to me – I think it works far better as a character-driven book than a detective story, despite the tagline A mysterious crime. A different detective being what originally drew me to the novel. I was expecting to have more of a mystery to work out for myself and didn't think I got that. As strange as it may sound, kim takes her literary inspiration from everyday life. In fact her debut novel dubbed smart serves to bring a completely brilliant and unique voice into the world of children’s educative books. While the author has clearly done her research, the book is less about the 'issue' of Finlay's speech difficulties and more about the power of language and the search for friendship and truths. The book touches on bullying, racism, dishonesty, corruption, trust and internet safety, without becoming heavy or worthy. Marrying some unusual themes and a likeable protagonist, this an absorbing and well-paced mystery.

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Kieran’s narration is heartbreakingly clear; we see what he sees and experience what he experiences, and at times his story is almost excruciatingly poignant as he struggles to make sense of the clues that the adults in the story simply don’t see. But at no time does this turn into a cutesy tale of a young amateur sleuth. The writing is always razor-sharp with no wasted words or unnecessary exposition, and the title is very well-chosen. Summary: Very strong characters make this one well worth reading, despite the mystery aspect not being quite as satisfying as I hoped for. Kim Slater is an author to watch out for!