The Taste of Fear

A strange and ultimately unsatisfactory novel about an ambassador's son holed up in a British Embassy during a civil war in some unspecified country. The short chapters sketch a picture of increasing hardship and danger although the cool narration and Toby's detachment keep everything peculiarly distanced. I can see that such a situation might feel exactly like this but the lack of excitement and the bitty story don't make for a good kids' novel. The ending is very unusual, too --- not conclusive enough for many kids. Short and relatively easy to read but I'll be surprised if many finish it.