Out of Shadows

Author(s): Jason Wallace

Children's Fiction

"'Go ahead shoot, I thought, because I was thirteen and desperate and anything, absolutely anything, was better than the fate to which my parents were leading me.'b>or Robert Jacklin - packed off without warning to boarding school in Zimbabwe - everything is terrifyingly new. Branded an outsider from the moment he opens his mouth and unable to decode the subtle power struggles of the classroom, he longs for the safety of his old life in England. And then he meets Ivan. Clever, cunning, seductive Ivan, who offers him not only of friendship, but power. As Robert is drawn slowly into Ivan's destructive web, he begins to question things he'd always held true and, as Ivan's grip tightens, he finds himself caught up in something far more dangerous than he could have imagined."


Product Information

A compelling, thought-provoking novel about race, bullying and the need to belong set in Africa.

Winner of Branford Boase Award 2011 and Costa Children's Book Award 2010. Shortlisted for Carnegie Medal 2011 and Booktrust Teenage Prize 2010.

"A stunning debut novel without a false note. Accomplished and powerful, it changes the way you think." Costa Book Award "(Jason Wallace's) bleak, ferocious debut is a powerful, devastating read for older teens." -- Patrick Ness Guardian "(Out of Shadows is) a provocative story, powerfully written. Some may find the themes difficult, the climax shocking, but Wallace has produced a first novel where all the heat and intensity of an African nation in flux burns on every page. He's a definitely a writer to watch in the future." -- Keith Gray The Scotsman "Classic crossover fiction...(Wallace's) unblinking portrait of true evil raises it above the norm... It's something that schools should study and readers read. Bravo! " -- Amanda Craig The Times "In its portrayal of race relations in a wounded country as well as of the ugly power dynamics of a community of adolescent boys, this novel excels, bringing readers up to the grim, uncertain present with mastery." Kirkus, Starred Review "An extraordinary coming-of-age novel ... a startlingly original debut ... Charting the change from childhood to adulthood against growing political discord gives the novel a sense of urgency, and the book's intensity, drama and pace leaves a lasting impact." -- Jake Hope Bookseller's choice, The Bookseller

Jason Wallace is related to Tolkein and a descendent of one of the first International English cricketers, and also of the world-renowned Victorian circus owner "Lord" George Sanger. He was born in Cheltenham in 1969 but moved to London after his parents split up. Aged 12 his life was turned upside down when his mother remarried and the family emigrated to Zimbabwe. It was this experience in a tough boarding school during the aftermath of the war for independence that forms the foundation of his incredible novel. And he did actually meet Robert Mugabe when he visited his school. Jason is currently a web designer, living in South West London. Writing is his hobby and this is his brilliant debut novel.

General Fields

  • : 9781849390484
  • : Andersen Press
  • : Andersen Press
  • : January 2010
  • : United Kingdom
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : Jason Wallace
  • : Paperback
  • : 410
  • : English
  • : Fic
  • : 288