The Witness, James Jauncey

After seeing the Blackriggs massacre; an atrocious act of cruelty, 15 year old John is on the run from the government, with information which could save Scotland from the one acre act. All he has to do is get that information to the rebels. Only one problem. He is accompanied by Ninian, a Fragile-X kid who has no way of expressing his emotions. No way of telling John how close much he knows the rebel leader.

                John is a natural hero in any sort of book: traumatized by the death of his younger brother, he keeps to himself and is generally the loner type. So he has devoted himself to hunting and music: or, more specifically, hunting and violin. He plays the ‘fiddle’ to his brother all the time. Until his house is stormed. By the government. Looking for him.

                Halfway through the story, he meets Lila, a girl willing to help the 2 boys. But with the government risking a heavy price if the information John knows gets out, every decision John takes could play a crucial part to the threesome’s survival. Trusting a friend could mean trusting an enemy. And lying to a stranger could mean losing a vital ally.

                I really enjoyed this book, and if it wasn’t for difficult timing, reading it in a sitting would have been no problem. From the beginning of the book, questions are being formed, and your curiosity starts to grow. The book also keeps the action going, with little drag or boringness to the story.

                This came as a shock to me, but this is based on a true story. A true story well worth reading. 8/10.