An Act of Love

Childhood friends Chris and Imran celebrate the Millenium as inseparable blood brothers, they are both seven years old. But by 2011 their lives have taken very different paths. One has joined the Army and served in Afghanistan, the other is a potential jihad recruit. They are no longer friends, and there are bitter wounds between them which remain unhealed. Will their childhood bond be strong enough to overcome an extremist plot? In a highly-charged, honest and life affirming story, told in flashback from both Chris and Imran's viewpoint, Alan Gibbon's cleverly explores the very real issue of terrorism that affects everyone today.

"...utterly gripping, honest and courageous... We need more books like this... Cracking contemporary thriller addressing today's key issues of multiculturalism, terrorism and community ties. Chris and Imran are childhood friends - but can that friendship survive jihad, domestic terrorism and an IED during a tour of afghanistan?" -- Jill Murphy THE BOOKBAG "...a brilliant story and one that has been told with excitement, compassion and honesty." THE GREAT, THE GOOD AND THE BAD BLOG "a thrilling tale that tackles important issues by involving you at a personal level. Highly recommended for teens and adults." THOUGHTS FROM THE HEARTHFIRE "This book should be on every reading list in every secondary school... It is a powerful read that leaves you with questions and reflections about the past ten years... An excellent, well-written, hard-hitting book to make you sit up and take notice." SERENDIPITY TEACHER "Gibbons captures the anger, frustration and sense of isolation that a teenager of faith or colour feels... This is an enormous and heavy topic to cover, but An Act of Love is not just boy meets girl, Muslims vs the West, it's about a love that fights and conquers hate. A sometimes uncomfortable, but intuitively written and compelling read. Gibbons gives the invisible a voice." THE FADED BOOKMARK "An Act of Love is the most powerful book I have read this year... This is a book about friendship and love: how families work, how we grow up, and how violence can change lives... It is a book about love and terror, about how and why people fight. It is beautifully written and the sharpness of the prose, and utter skilfullness of the storytelling should make this book a must read for young men and women all across Britain." -- Catherine Johnson ARMADILLO MAGAZINE "What breaks inside the child that makes the man so flawed" asks Alan Gibbons in this exciting and cleverly constructed tale showing how decent kids can be sucked into violent extremism... There's a bomb ticking right through this story. Will it go off? You'll need to read it." -- Anne Johnstone GLASGOW HERALD "Gibbons clarifies but never simplifies the issues involved. The least escapist thriller imaginable, and yet as exciting, and often as much fun as Horowitz." -- Jake Kerridge THE TELEGRAPH "There are not enough male teen novels, and this one is of political as well as human importance... The pace makes for breathless reading as you approach the end. Having begun at the end, the plot moves towards what ultimately has to happen, after twelve years of back-story. Imran and Chris are still teenagers, and they have both seen too much. I hope this book will open many eyes." THE BOOKWITCH "This, for once, is a young adult novel genuinely meriting the description 'thought-provoking'." -- Robert Dunbar THE SCHOOL LIBRARIAN "An Act of Love is an extraordinary book that thoroughly explores trust, pain and decision-making... an exciting read that challenges people's views and leaves you wondering where you stand." SOCIALIST WORKER

Be the first to write a customer review

Buying options