Book Review; I Predict A Riot by Catherine Bruton

Summary:
Explosive, emotional drama, perfect for fans of Meg Rosoff and Annabel Pitcher.

Welcome to Coronation Road – a kaleidoscope of clashing cultures and parallel lives. There’s Maggie and her politician mum in their big house. There’s Tokes and his mum in a tiny bedsit, running from trouble. And there’s the ruthless Starfish gang, breeding fear through the neighbourhood.

Amateur film-maker Maggie prefers to watch life through the lens of her camera. In Tokes, she finds a great subject for her new film. And when violence erupts, led by the Starfish gang, Maggie has the perfect backdrop. But as the world explodes around her, Maggie can’t hide behind the lens anymore . . .

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When It All

Even though Catherine Bruton has written books before, I have never read one, so when I was given the chance to read I Predict a Riot, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to try one of Catherine’s books. I was also really excited about it as the synopsis really caught my attention. It is, then, with great happiness that I can report to you all that I truly loved this book. It blew me away and is a book I believe I will remember for a long time.

Kicks Off

This book was set with the backdrop of the London Riots and follows the lives of three very distinct and unique characters. All of which I just loved! This backdrop really pulled me into the story because I couldn’t help but remember the riots, adding a further dimension to the story. I remembered where I was and what I felt, and I feel that this book captured the riots so well, really making the book that much better for me. But essentially it is the story that Catherine has written that kept me hooked on the page. It was the journey the characters took and how it finally concluded that made this book the masterpiece I felt it was.

Will You Stand

I have so much love for every character in this book. Maggie was such an amazing character. I loved that she was someone with real flaws and seemingly no sense of danger; it made her so realistic and easy to read. It also showed how much she changed during this book, and how much, essentially, she grew up. Tokes was also an interesting character who I adored reading about. I loved the strength of his character and just how well he dealt with everything that life threw at him and how, despite that, he still made mistakes. Little Pea is also worth mentioning. I truly admired him and thought he was a wonderful character who just had so much life in him. I found myself laughing along with him and just loved reading about his parts in the story. Catherine really knows how to write characters you’ll love!

On The Sidelines

I Predict a Riot, as mentioned above, deals with very serious subject matter but one thing that Catherine does well is deal with it sensitively. This book doesn’t make a joke of the situation but also manages to look at both sides of the story. It is just really well done and I feel that it is a book that people should read. Catherine also manages to pull many emotions out of the reader with this book. There were times when I was laughing, times I felt tense and on edge, and then there were times when I felt tears on my cheeks. It is a book that is just written exceedingly well.

Or Get Involved

This book is exciting, emotional, fast-paced, and enthralling. It will keep you hooked, tug on your heart, and just cause you to think. It is a book that I devoured, and one that I would happily re-read. It also made me want to read more of Catherine’s books as well. This book also starts at the end, something which I love in books and just helped to make it more gripping and intense. I worry that this review may make this book seem better than it is but I’m struggling to think of anything I disliked about it. It’s a strong book that I just really enjoyed and would recommend over and over. So, if you haven’t read it yet, what are you waiting for?