Chapter 1-9

Chapter 1

In the first chapter of the book there are many persons who will plays a big role in the book. Jamie plays against his biggest adversary Danny who is trained by his father Bob Powell. First Jamie seems to be the better one, but then Danny wins the match because of better conditions after a 0:2. Jamie’s father is very angry about that and beats him hard.
This reaction of his father shows that he is a very strange father, because
he beats his son just because of a loosing match.
It's very hard for me to put myself in the position of Jamie, because I play football and my father never beats me because of a miserable match, so I can't understand Jamie’s father and I can't understand any parents who beats their kids for a miserable match or something else.
I think the first chapter of the novel introduces the reader very well, so you get much information about the behaviour between the persons.


Chapter 2

The second chapter of the novel deals with other new characters that will play a big role in the following parts.
Jamie comes back home to Ashingford after the match against Danny and has the first contact to two mysterious men who are standing on the street with a very mysterious look. When he is at home his mother tells him that his dad beats him one more time and Jamie is very angry and feels scared about his father. He takes his basketball, plays in his garden and hopes that Spider, his best and only friend, hears him and plays with him. But then he sees one of the two men again standing on the street and looking in the air.
In my opinion the second chapter is very good, because it tells you something more about the relationship between the persons, for example the relationship between Jamie and Spider or Jamie’s father between the rest of the family. Also the two mysterious men will plays a big role in the book and that were shown in the second chapter, too, because the identity of the men is very secret and mysterious.


Chapter 3


The third chapter starts with a dialogue between Jamie and his father in the car, while driving through the school gates. His father tells him his decision to stop Jamie’s pocket money, but Jamie’s doesn't agree with this. Jamie’s father refers his argument that Jamie will understand this decision if he become older, but Jamie disagrees. Then you get the information that Jamie in the past likes to play squash, but the pressure of his father became too big and so he dislikes playing squash, now. It seems to be that Jamie’s father makes him do play squash.
After the discussion Jamie meets Spider and Mr. and Mrs. Dean with Amy and Becky. Jamie tells them his problems and Mr. Dean tries to animate him with a cake and they give him a few advice.
The third chapter shows very well the relationship between Jamie and his dad. I can't understand the decision of the father, because I think if he stops Jamie’s pocket money, Jamie doesn't plays better, but rather he ignores him more and more.


Chapter 4


In the beginning of Chapter 4 Jamie and Spider are in Rossi's Burger Bananza in Ashingford where Spider borrows Jamie money to order something. There Jamie sees the two mysterious men again and he tries to understand what they're talking about, but he can't. Then he comes home and his father blames him to stolen money from his mum, but Jamie doesn't know what his dad is talking about. Jamie’s father beats his hands and so Jamie runs away from home to his personal and secret hiding place. There he lies alone in the darkness and thinks about his life and his dad.
The fourth chapter again shows the very bad relationship between Jamie and his dad, because he blames Jamie for something, he hasn't done. You can see there that his dad doesn't believe in Jamie and so he beats him one more time. Then it's clear that Jamie escapes.


Chapter 5

In Chapter 5 you get the first information about the pregnant girl Abby, who meets Jamie in his personal hiding place.
First Abby doesn't want to say her name to Jamie, only she says that they
should warm the each other with their body, when they want to sleep.
It's because of the cold weather, but Abby adds that she doesn't think about sex or something
else and Jamie thinks the same.
In this chapter Jamie first time meets Abby and he is very wondered about it. I think I would be very wondered about when a new girl is in my personal hiding place, but she is a little bit secret, too, because she doesn't want to tell her name.


Chapter 6


In the morning Jamie wakes up, but Abby is away. After a short time, Jamie becomes hungry and goes to school.
At school no teacher talks about him, because he often fails at school. Jamie tells his German teacher something about him, his dad and his situation at the moment and she consoles him. When Jamie is back in his class, he talks with Spider, but then he has to
go to Mr. Talbot’s office, where they talk about the missing of Jamie. After the talk Mr. Talbot calls Jamie’s dad to picks up him. Jamie’s dad seems to be very angry and says nothing in the office and in the car. At the end of the chapter Jamie sees the two mysterious men again walking to the school gate and thinks about it.
If I were Jamie I think I would react like him, because he is very confused about the two men again and he is always thinks about them.

Chapter 7

On next day Jamie thinks about his life and that he won't be beaten by his father again. He takes his secret book and scribes this:
"One day he won't hit me and I'll have a real relationship with him, like Spider does with his dad. I want him to respect me. I know to love him but I can’t because he won’t let me. I know he was a great squash player, better than I'll ever be. I never saw him play but Mum says he was brilliant, and I've read the reports so he must have been good. And he learnt his squash in Australia and Australia is supposed to breed top squash players, so he keeps telling me. But we don’t live in Australia."
Then he talks with his mum and he finds out that his dad had nothing when he was in his age and that his dad always had to fight for the things he wants to have.
Then, in the evening, he goes back to his shed, but no one is there and so he leaves his blanket and returns back home.
In my opinion this chapter is very important, because you get much information about Jamie’s feelings and the past of the father. Jamie wrote his wishes and hopes in his secret book and you see that he wants to be another person, because he doesn't want a relationship like he has and he hopes that one day he has a good relationship to his father. Also you find out which past his dad has and why he reacts so angry, but I think that he reacts too hard, because he can't blame his son for this.

Chapter 8

First, in chapter 8, Jamie brings some rolls to his shed for the girl, when he is unobserved. Then he talks with his mum, who is very wondered about his new eating habit, but Jamie only says that he's hungry at this time.
On way to school Jamie and Spider meets the two mysterious men and they ask Jamie and his friend, if they see the girl on the photo which they show their. Jamie directly realizes that this girl is the same one like the one in his shed, but he and Spider lie and say that they don't know who she is.
Last his dad brings Jamie to the squash hall to train a little bit, but Jamie isn't concentrates in playing squash, but rather he thinks about the two men.
Jamie realizes in this chapter why the two men are in town and what they are searching for: Abby: I think he feels very scared about this. It's clear that he isn't concentrated in playing squash.


Chapter 9


At the beginning of the ninth chapter the Talbot’s are guests by Jamie’s family and he takes advantage
of the situation and sneaks off to his shed to look at the girl, but there was no girl, just the two men who are looking and searching for something. Jamie feels scared about this and waits a few minutes until the two men leave his shed. Then Jamie goes back to his shed and thinks about what they want. Now he is very afraid and sees a new figure appearing....
I think Jamie knows what the two men want and he feels very afraid, because they know his shed and also they knows where Abby often is.