Kick

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At the end of the book, there is a scene which is entirely embroiled in crime and it ends in Budi surviving with his father (although his uncle sadly dies) and he ends up with millions of pounds in cash. Before his uncle's death, he said to his nephew that he could use it for his life as he knew that Budi wanted to be a professional footballer and this was the lifeline that his uncle had provided for HIM for Budi to fulfil his ambition with his poor chances. It’s both uplifting and hard-hitting, making it a truly special book for Upper KS2 classrooms (particularly Y6).

I understand why the publishers have done it because they want the book to appeal to the audience which the book is written for. The writing style in this is, most of the time, quite plain: it is very compatible with children between the ages of 12-15 maybe and there is something in the writing style which reminded me a lot of how YA books are written, in general. That cover would very easily appeal to teenagers, especially boys! The subject matter is treated seriously and Budi’s perspective provides an unvarnished insight into the world of East Asian sweatshops, the lows and the (relative) highs. It’s a brilliant way of bringing such a delicate issue to the attention of young children.The author has incorporated some Indonesian words and food. I am from Singapore, one of Indonesia's neighbours. Growing up in this multi-cultural society, I know a few Malay words and am familiar with some foods. I've only been to Indonesia a couple of times and cannot vouch if those words are truly used in Indonesia but some of the words are not what we use in Singapore. Nevertheless, they give a flavour of the place.

Konfliknya mulai terasa pada suatu sore ketika Budi berlatih bola— itu hanya karena dia tidak suka menyebutnya bermain, lebih bangga menyebutnya berlatih— di sepetak tanah kosong bersama teman-temannya. Namun kesialan terjadi, belum dapat merasakan gurihnya rendang buatan ibunya, Budi malah harus berurusan dengan Naga karena satu tendangannya yang menyalang ke rumah 'Preman' Jakarta itu, mantan napi Nusa Kambangan yang menyeretnya pada komplotan mereka untuk melakukan aksi yang jelas berlawanan dengan kerjaannya— ya dia harus melakukan itu demi menyelamatkan dirinya 'hidup-hidup' dari si Naga sialan itu.This debut comes out this month in September; it is a book primarily for teenagers (though this is fairly compatible with a certain type of adult reader!) and it follows a boy named Budi in who lives in Indonesia with his parents and his paternal grandmother; the family are very poor and they cannot afford to send Budi to school so he works in a factory which makes football boots for professional players. It is focused on ambition; it's focused on following dreams; it's focused on the injustice of a legal system, among many other things. The main focus of the novel is Budi's strong ambition to become a professional footballer and there are disadvantages barring that dream: 1) because of his poverty and therefore that situation being, at first glance, next to impossible and 2) Budi also has a genetically passed down condition which prevents his blood from clotting properly so not only does a cut need to be tended to a lot so as to prevent constant bleeding but also, he could potentially start bleeding internally due to an injury and not be aware of that until he dies suddenly. On the front of the book, it has the quote: "The Only Thing Standing In His Way Is Everything" and that is really symbolised through the telling of this story. Akan selalu ada sesuatu— atau seseorang— yang mencegahmu menyadari potensimu. Selalu ada penjaga lapangan yang memelihara pagar. Selalu ada kiper yang menjaga gawang. Kau cuma harus melihat melampaui dirinya.❞ —Hlm. 159 GameSpot (May 3, 2010). "Today On the Spot 4/29/10 by GameSpot". YouTube. Google. Archived from the original on September 13, 2016 . Retrieved December 3, 2010. Two things that I really enjoyed about this book is that it is very beautifully written and that it has a good understanding of how poor people can't just be bad at all things just because they don't have enough money. I loved reading about Budi and Johnson creates his world brilliantly- you truly come to inhabit his life, feel his hopes and anxieties and care for him and his family. You want good things for Budi!