Confessions of a Liar, Thief and Failed Sex God

Bill Condon (author)

Stephen Pease (reader)

Louis Braille Audio, 2009: 3CDs

ISBN: 978742124117

Genres: audio, realistic fictionm

Issues: adolescence, bullying, family, friendship

It's 1967. Neil and his best mate, Troy, attend the local Catholic Boys High School, run by iron-fisted and merciless teaching brothers. At a time when the strap is used freely and nobody thinks to question it, Brother Michael crosses the line. He accuses a boy of stealing and gets stuck into him with his fists - and the boy hits back.

Knowing what he does about the theft and despite never having been particularly close to him, Neil feels compelled to check up on Zom and finds himself falling head over heels for Silvie, Zom's sister. A new teacher at the school takes the brutality and bullying to a new level and Neil loses his best friend. His brother's called up for the Vietnam War. The world is rocking under his feet as well as in his ears and Neil isn't quite sure whether he's boy or man.

Bill Condon is a well respected writer who can turn his pen hand to almost anything. Confessions of a Liar, Thief and Failed Sex God is one of his darker narratives but is an eloquent expression of the turbulence and confusion that can be life for an adolescent male. Condon has created a complex, character-driven narrative which encourages readers to move beyond the black and white morality and perceptions of childhood and recognise the mixed motives of the adult world.

Stephen Pease reads well, giving depth and reality to the changing relationships between Neil and his friends and family. His interpretation of the various teaching brothers, in particular, is both believable and, at times, chilling, as his voice projects their complete certainty in their own judgement and their lack of interest in other viewpoints. The lighter, higher female voices he employs can be harder to hear unless the sound is turned up, but it's not a major disruption to the listening.

Warning: sexual references; death of significant character; violence of adults towards teenagers