Fate, teenage angst and brotherly love - Just in Case by Meg Rosoff

Just in Case by Meg Rosoff (Penguin, 2006)

If you like quirky characters, a fresh and very original way of looking at the world and its inhabitants, then read this book! David Case is a 15 year old who manages to save his baby brother from certain death just in the nick of time - but what if he hadn't? David is a natural worrier who suddenly realises that Fate is out to get him unless he reinvents himself by changing his name, his appearance and his character.

Unfortunately, while outwardly David becomes Justin (his new name being just one instance of how this novel is suffused with dark humour), inwardly David is still David - moody, brooding and complex. The other characters bring light relief, especially his younger brother Charlie who, in spite of (or maybe, because of) his extreme youth, seems to understand David far better than he understands himself. Then there's Fate who is given a voice which is both sinister and curious. Not a book for readers who enjoy the safe and predictable, but definitely for ambitious young adults and adults who are ready for a challenge.

review by Katrina