Hellbent - Hardcover

McGowan, Anthony

3.79

253 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0385608608 ISBN 13: 9780385608602

Publisher: Doubleday, 2005

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Many sixteen-year-old boys think that life is Hell; for Conor it really is. Ignominiously run over by an ice cream van, Conor is sent Down There, although he thinks he's committed no worse crime than winding up his sister and teasing the fat kid at school. To his surprise, Conor discovers that every inhabitant is in his own personal version of Hell. No pointy pitchforks or consuming hellfire for Conor, but an unutterably boring life in a room stuffed full of ancient books of philosophy, with a radio continually playing erudite documentaries or classical music. Conor foresees eternal damnation by tedium. Then it occurs to Conor that his personal vision of Hell might just be someone else's vision of Heaven - and vice versa! Desperate to discover his after-life opposite, and try to swap places, Conor sets out on a filthy, frightening and unpredictable journey, accompanied by his repulsive dog, Scrote, an unreliable demon and a cross-dressing Viking. On his travels Conor discovers that in this infernal place not only are souls being separated from bodies, they are being destroyed. Discovering how to reverse this process could be the most powerful idea Conor - or anyone - has ever had.

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About the Author:

Anthony McGowan was born in Manchester in 1965. Educated at a Catholic comprehensive and theen as the only boy at an academic girls' school, his experiences continue to influence his writing. Before turning to writing full time, Anthony gained his PhD in Philosophy with a thesis on Beauty, then worked as a nightclub bouncer, an Open University tutor, a journalist and a civil servant in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Hellbent is his first novel for young adults. He is married to Rebecca Campbell, a fashion designer and novelist, and they have two young children.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 7 Up—When 16-year-old Conor O'Neill dies after being hit by an ice-cream truck, he finds himself in Hell, accompanied by his dog Scrote, who is now able to speak. They are watched over and tormented by a devil named Clarence, which, of course, will raise (and then dash) the hopes of It's a Wonderful Life fans. There's no doubt that the author has a way with words, and there's even some nifty philosophy thrown into the mix. But the scatology and sociopathology that pervade this book necessitate putting it in the you-must-be-kidding column. McGowan is an author to watch, but this effort is over-the-top.—Nancy Brown, Fox Lane High School, Bedford, NY
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