The shiny guys by Doug Macleod
Penguin, 2012. ISBN 9780143565307.
The shiny guys is a bold, abrasive and surprisingly funny
novel, akin to Ken Kesey's One flew over the cuckoo's nest
in terms of subject matter, and worthy of similar praise.
The story concerns a 15-year old boy who has been admitted to an
asylum during the 1980s, a time when the treatment of mental health
patients was still radical but beginning to be questioned.
From the first page, each word seems hand picked, like a
meticulously compiled string of sentences. Despite the strength of
the writing, each word has an irresistible urgency and secrecy, as
though betraying too much of it to another would be breaking some
intimate vow.
Doug Macleod presents teenagers with a genuinely smart, genuinely
funny and genuinely hard-hitting piece of collage writing. He
combines normal contemporary prose with letters, transcribed
conversations and other styles. This format is wildly eclectic and
effective, allowing for the disjointed characters and dialogue to be
presented in a way that serves rather than stifles their quirks.
The mixed-up writing almost recalls Beat Generation poetry,
whimsical and dark, equally edgy and translucent.
The shiny guys is a strong, nostalgic and never accusatory
literary nod towards the treacherous mental health system of times
gone by, but more importantly the fragile health in question of
young people. It poignantly recollects and highlights the
institutional damage inflicted on those who are already damaged.
An intelligent read recommended for teenagers looking for something
with bite, but enough heart to balance the dark.
Henry Vaughan (Student)