LitPick Review
In Stevie's new school, he is determined to fit in with a gang. This gang is made up of a bunch of bad kids. To get in, the gang is asking him to set fire to a piece of public property. There is one thing that is making Stevie hesitant about doing this; he is afraid of fire because people had burnt him at his old school. Things, however, change in Stevies life when he finds The Devils Toenail, an ancient shell-like fossil that makes him more daring, and also urges him to do criminal acts like stealing. In the end, Stevie must make the decision either to commit to a life influenced by The Devils Toenail or to stop his rebellious acts towards his family and community.
Opinion:
I found the beginning and middle part of the book to be very slow. The story did not really pick up and get better until the last 50 pages. The book was also written in a conversational manner, which can be good or bad depending on your perspective. In addition, I thought the end of the book could have been summed up better, giving more information about what happens to some of the other characters in the story. Lastly, the book takes place in England and therefore has some British phrasing that makes some parts a little difficult to understand.
