Hellbent

Description

A brilliantly funny, occasionally tender and always surprising view of a sixteen-year-old boy's Hell - an explosive cross between Terry Pratchett and Dante! Anthony McGowan is the Carnegie Medal 2020 winning author of Lark. Sent to Hell for typical teenage misdemeanours, Conor is surprised to find that it's not all pitchforks and leaping flames. But an eternity in a fusty cave full of philosophy books and obscure classical music is actually worse. Then Conor realizes that his personal version of Hell might be someone else's idea of Heaven - and vice versa. He sets out on a filthy, funny and forbidden journey to search for his opposite number, accompanied by his repulsive pet dog, a depressed cross-dressing Viking and a stumpy devil called Clarence. What he sees is disgusting and what he discovers is shocking, but oddly enough Conor learns a hell of a lot about life - now that he's dead!

Anthony McGowan was born in Manchester in 1965. Educated at a Catholic comprehensive, some of his school experiences inform his writing now. Before turning to writing full time, Anthony has worked as a nightclub bouncer, an Open University philosophy tutor, a cinema critic and a speechwriter in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. He had his first novel for adults, Stag Hunt, published by Hodder in March 2004. He is married to Rebecca Campbell, a fashion designer and novelist, and they have two small children.

Anthony McGowan made a hilarious debut with Hellbent, a modern take on Dante which manages to mix existentialist and determinist philosophy with quite surprising amounts of poo -- Anthony Horowitz * Sunday Telegraph * A wisecracking helterskelter . . . Real boys' stuff . . . but watch out for a twist in the novel's devilish tail -- Hepzibah Anderson * Observer * A brilliantly nauseating thriller . . . It is a devilishly funny, clever and moving novel -- Amanda Craig * The Times * Dante for beginners with a serious moral message -- Geraldine Brennan * TES * Every writer hates to hear the words "stunning new talent" applied to someone else, but in the case of Anthony McGowan nothing else will do -- Meg Rosoff