Crocodile

She’s remembering curtains closed against whatever might harm them and all the knick- knacks: the porcelain fairy, the chain of rubber dolphins, CDs piled a metre high. This was what home meant. It’s the summer before high school and Chloe is being sent away. Her mother can’t cope and needs something that her daughter cannot provide. All Chloe wants is to get away from her grandparents and back to her mother, her friends, and the life she knows. That is until she falls in with a local gang of outsiders and begins to experience the world she has been missing. However, her mother’s influence is strong and, as her life increases in savagery and risk, the girl will be forced to decide how much danger she can stomach. Crocodile is a story about the powerful connection between parent and child, and the intensity of the final summer of childhood. As with his debut, Fallow, it is told in Shand’s trademark style, blending elements of the grotesque and tender, undercut by a current of dark comedy.

About the Author :
Daniel Shand was born in Kirkcaldy in 1989. He lives in Glasgow and works in Edinburgh, where he teaches at Napier University. His debut novel, Fallow, was published in 2016. It won the Betty Trask Prize and was shortlisted for the Saltire Society First Book of the Year.

Review :
A riveting, heart-breaking, consistently unpredictable novel by an enormously gifted young writer. ‘A heart-breaking account of the dangerous and devastating world that vulnerable children are often thrown into... The characters are painfully and purposefully full of hidden depth and secrets, and you’ll find your heart aching for each one of them.’ ‘Poetic, unsettling and provoking, Shand’s writing encompasses not only Chloe’s psyche, but her coping mechanisms, her fears and her dreams.’ ‘Carefully and intelligently, Shand uncovers the damage suffered by Angie and the effects that damage has had on Chloe despite her mother’s fierce but misguided efforts to protect her. It’s a quietly powerful novel, perceptive and compassionate.’ ‘With skill and precision, Shand has expressed the sad truth that coming of age is not just about discovering who you are, but also about scything down the person you used to be, happy memories and all.’ ‘Compelling... With Crocodile Daniel Shand has cemented his position as one of Scotland’s finest and original literary voices.’ ‘The more I read the more I respected - and more importantly, enjoyed - how the writing style mirrored the sometimes illogical, unreliable nature of thought, exploring the coping mechanisms used by children grappling with the loss of childhood.’ ‘This sharp exploration of a dystopian London that doesn't feel so far from our own is full of female friendship, feminism and delicious description.’ Poetically thoughtful, careful, somehow both harrowing and gentle, heartbreaking and heartwarming. His characters are so beautifully human, perfect in their imperfection.’