Smart: A mysterious crime, a different detective

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Simply put, the book is most ideal for reader aged 14 and above to say the least. Smart by Kim Slater serves as an uplifting story of how a young boy takes advantage of his art couple with unique mind to triumph in a world that does not understand him. Smart guarantees to captivate both: young and old readers. I would say slightly younger readers could access this, maybe 12+. Kieran is about that age. His mother has moved in with Tony, unemployed and violent, and Tony's lazy teenage son Ryan, happy to follow his father's example and bully Kieran. The book begins when Kieran and his homeless friend Jean discover the drowned body of another homeless man, Colin. The police aren't very interested so Kieran decides he will investigate. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the CSI TV programme, and an uncanny ability to draw and paint, so draws Jean's description of the last man she saw with Colin.

It starts after Kieran comes across a dead body by the river. Then later on comes to realize that this is the body of a local homeless man named Colin who police had assumed and concluded that he simply fell into the river and drowned yet in real sense they never really cared what had happened to him. As strange as it may sound, Kieran seems to care about this dead homeless man and adamantly sets out to try and solve the mystery behind his death. Shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize, the Federation of Children's Book Groups Prize and longlisted for the 2015 Carnegie Medal, Kim Slater's outstanding debut, Smart, is moving and compelling novel with a loveable character at its heart. Kieren was a peculiar character, I could never figure him out; I could not connect with him in any way. I felt the plot was sadly bland, I was not at all engaged in the novel at any stage and I had no drive to continue reading as nothing, in my eyes, was happening. And I can enjoy it if it's well done which this is. There are similarities to The Curious Incident in the Night-time, as the narrator seems to be autistic (though he is never outright called this) and also because the plot involves a murder and investigation. He's not a pushover though. This is a boy determined to find out what happened to Colin. This drives the plot, and Kieran shows just how smart a young person can be as he tries to solve the mystery, uncovering other secrets along the way.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. I found Jean's friend dead in the river. His name was Colin Kirk. He was a homeless man, but he still wanted to live.'

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 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. 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.In the past, she has on more than one occasion openly admitted that her favorite spot to write in is in bed and that she would never leave the house without her kindle. Summary of SMART by Kim Slater 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. 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. The police have ruled the death an accident, another nameless vagrant who likely won't be missed. Kieran, though, is convinced that the man - who is, in fact, named Colin - was murdered, and takes the case. Keeping interviews of others in the homeless community and sketches of details from the crime scene in his notebook, Kieran gradually reveals a plot far more complex than the police are willing to consider that extends as far as his front door. 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.

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. 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. The solution to the mystery comes all of a sudden but it's the other plots coming together that works well, and I hope this leads young readers to appreciate that everyone has their strengths as well as problems and deserves to be taken seriously. My name is Finlay McIntosh. I can see OK, can hear perfectly fine and I can write really, really well. But the thing is, I can't speak. I'm a st-st-st-stutterer. Hilarious, isn't it? It's like the word is there in my mouth, fully formed and then, just as it's ready to leave my lips . . . POP! It jumps and ricochets and bounces around my gob. Except it isn't funny at all, because there's not a thing I can do about it.' 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!

Review

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. I grew up in the great coal-mining region of North Nottinghamshire in the days when life revolved around the ‘pit.’ Many people lived close to the mine, worked down the mine and socialised on Friday and Saturday nights at the Miners’ Welfares that were dotted around the towns and villages. I was surrounded by hard-working people who’d enjoy a well-deserved drink or two while dancing their troubles away… and often great storytellers who’d keep each other engaged and entertained with tense tales that relayed the drama of their week. What an immersive education for an aspiring writer! Kieran is very definitely smart and so is this clever, moving, and at times uplifting, book. You’ll be there every step of the way with this always in-character young narrator, willing him to succeed and desperately hoping that there’ll be a way out for him from a horrible home life.