This is a strange, strange book. I had an hour and a half to kill before a meeting and picked this off the shelf because it seemed like a quick read.Plum-tree boy reminded me so much of Grendel. And I was afraid of this book. I think someone compared it to Lord of the Flies. Never has that sounded more accurate.It's what drives children to the extreme to prove a point.Like I said--a strange, strange book.