About me:
This is Surrey where nothing bad ever happens. Except somehow 15 year-old Veerapen, half Tamil, half-Jew and the fastest runner in the school has just helped bury Moon Suzuki, the girl he loved. His Dad has run off with an optician and his Mum's going off the rails; then there's his trainer, who's has been accused of kiddie-fiddling. Since when did growing up in the suburbs get this complicated?
As the knots of Moon and Veerapen's tragic story unfold, Niven Govinden brings to life a misfit hero of the school gates, bristling with tenderness, venom and vigour. Graffiti My Soul is a hip, rich big-hearted book full of unexpected twists and inspiring humanity.
Arena
'a sharp update on JD Salinger's Catcher in the Rye - incriminating JPEGS, Britney and all'
Attitude
'In a thunderous rollercoaster of a book, Govinden charts the casual violence and depravity of contemporary Britain. A deliciously subversive, happy-slap of a book.'
BBC Online
'Govinden hits upon exactly the right balance of teenage insouciance and vulnerability...absorbing' (4 stars)
Financial Times
'Graffiti My Soul convincingly evokes a world of listless yet energetic teenagers and the private code of loyalties and rivalries governing their everyday life'
Independent on Sunday
'one to watch...Graffiti My Soul' is quite an achievement ... Govinden has provided us with a powerful and sobering social commentary'
The List
'a captivating novel...a fizzy, witty, horrific take on being a British youngster...Govinden's eye for the atmosphere on the streets and ear for the accompanying dialogue will prove difficult to better' (4 stars)
The London Paper
'a remarkable look into the minds of youth ... I can see this becoming required reading in schools'
Metro
'a worryingly exact take on youth culture...paints a picture of the 21st-century schoolyard, full of bitter enmity, boredom and text bullying...thoughtful stuff' (4 stars - Fiction Of The Week)
New Statesman
'witty and compassionate...Govinden adopts brilliant street jargon that immediately communicates the 15-year-old mentality.'
Radio 5 Live Book Panel
'an absolute achievement...award-worthy...should be nominated for a Booker' (Boyd Hilton)
Stirling Observer
'Never sentimental and sometimes even shocking, a desperate nihilism is discernible in each and every member of the teenage cast of characters, but so too is a sense that they are all behind the blasé fronts, anxious for something deeper and more meaningful in their lives than the next happy slap of 50 Cent CD...A tender, cheeky slice of life with plenty to invigorate the soul.'
Sunday Herald
'Govinden effectively creates an atmosphere of nihilistic despair among his characters...but does it with a twinkle in his eye and real comic flair...There is much to admire about Graffiti My Soul'
Time Out
'Govinden's edgy coming of age novel...has some of the irreverance of early Hanif Kureishi. Govinden employs the same pencil-sharp observation and smart handling of human relationships as he did in his first novel 'We Are The New Romantics' (3 stars)
Times
'dark humour...spirit, guts and soul'
Times Literary Supplement
'a modest but worthwhile novel...both shocking and subtly told'
3:AM Magazine
'excellent txt Romeo and Juliet'
Praise For We Are The New Romantics:
'Witty, sharp and effortlessly readable, I devoured it in two evenings. Fizzy with pop-cultural references and chock-full of sex, drugs and rock'n'roll (or house and disco at least), you could mistake it for a well-written beach read, were it not for the intelligent handling of the nature of friends and relationships.' The Guardian (Books of the Year)
Hi Niven, Graffiti My Soul sounds very intriguing, especially as I'm from Surrey, and I was the fastest runner in my school. As far as I can tell, the spooky similarity ends there, but I think I'd better read it just to make sure! ;-)
Hi Thanks for add. Great to hear from a novelist. I work in a bookstore so will definitely check out the book with a view to recommending it. We need more networking for books !!
thanks for finding me on here. Delighted to be your friend. Book sounds great! Fantastic reviews. Best of luck with it. Please look out for mine too when it comes out in September with Faber.
Enjoy all your readings and festivals etc this summer!
