John van de Ruit's Spud books are a publishing phenomenon in South Africa. My theory is that a large part of their appeal is the fact that Van de Ruit has managed to make the reader feel that they are part of the story. We've followed John “Spud” Milton through his last three years of boarding school – cheered at his successes, cringed at his family's madcap antics and followed his less-than-simple love life. And now with Spud – Exit, Pursued by a Bear we join Spud for one more year of adventure, discovery and would-be romance.
A book written entirely in diary form runs the risk of losing its sense of narrative, so it's a testament to John van de Ruit's writing skill that Spud – Exit, Pursued by a Bear reads comfortably as a continual story. It's been great to see how Spud's voice has matured through the series and it remains true to character and age. It's this consistency in storytelling and voice that allows the reader to dive straight into the book from page one.
In Spud – Exit, Pursued by a Bear John van de Ruit is back to the form that had me falling in love with Spud and the rest of the Crazy Eight in the first book. There's a great balance of laugh-out-loud humour with the more serious theme of personal identity and the challenges of impending adulthood and independence. And there are some priceless comedic moments which had me laughing out loud and in serious danger of choking on my coffee at one point. But the comedy never feels forced and that is the gift of a writer with real talent for the genre.
Spud – Exit, Pursued by a Bear is the perfect ending to a series that has captured people's hearts and imaginations.
This review originally appeared here.
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