Review: An excellent portrayal of inadequacy, in school and in the outside world
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 1, 2012
A wonderful read, initially engendering some irritation at the sheer indolent, ambition-free, apathetic approach to life of the book's characters, then the realization that this WAS the book's very brilliance - Mr. Church's wonderful portrayal  of his characters, adults and teens, teachers, students and other individuals  alike, to the extent that you can see them, hear them, see how they dress, react, eat lollies and biscuits, throw litter , knock back  energy drinks and alcohol (lots of both)  - you can also "see" the parents' tattoos and grasp the social backgrounds!  Humour is prevalent throughout, alternately subtle, wry and chuckle-producing, and this is skillfully entwined within the portrayals of the various characters - amusing and realistic simultaneously.  Whatever his faults, the lethargic protagonist teacher could, when necessary, get through sufficiently to his pupils to gain a desired outcome (followed sometimes by a less desirable one). There were some grammatical errors and word misuse; however, this did not spoil the overall enjoyment.  Thank you to Phil Church for a not only entertaining but also thought-provoking work.  Looking forward to a possible sequel.