The Shiny Guys, quite a departure from Doug MacLeod’s usually quite light-hearted work, is nonetheless a real success. This foray into the world of mental illness and treatment calls to mind, and even refers directly to, complex works such as The Castle and One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest.A book about fear, uncertainty, and suffering, it is rich in complexities but perfectly told for its young adult audience.
Bec Kavanagh reviews 'The Shiny Guys' by Doug MacLeod
Bec Kavanagh
Published in July–August 2012 no. 343
The Shiny Guys
by Doug MacLeod
Penguin, $17.95 pb, 261 pp, 9780143565307
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Bec Kavanagh
Bec Kavanagh is a Melbourne based freelance writer, reviewer and young adult education specialist. Bec has worked on specialist literary events such as the A Thousand Words Festival. She speaks regularly about young adult fiction at professional development sessions, at school events and on Radio National’s Books & Arts Daily. She is currently working with the Stella Prize to set up a school’s program.
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