Squeamish? Then you'll want to put this one straight down, as John Devine's obsessions aren't the usual teenage variety. The raging of hormones takes on biblical proportions in author Peter Murphy's prose, as the plague of parasites, maggots, tapeworms and other nasty creatures that populate John's nightmares begin to intrude into his waking hours.
Brought up on his mother's fables and biblical quotations, James is a posterboy for the perpetual frustration and boredom of small town adolescence. After befriending the school's dark sheep, James Corboy, John starts to dabble in teenage vice and discovers the truth about his mother's past, as well as the darkness that lurks at the fringes of his small town. It's a wicked ride, confusing, disturbing and terrifying at times, but consistently absorbing.
- Laura MacIntyre
Title: John the Revelator
Author: Peter Murphy
Publisher: Faber and distributed by Allen & Unwin
RRP: $29.95, paperback
