Big Game

Oskari is about to turn thirteen and in his remote Finnish village this can only mean one thing; he must complete the ancient trial of manhood by spending a night in the wilderness and bring back something he has caught. Although very smart, Oskari is not a great hunter and he knows everyone, including his dad, doubts his ability to succeed.

Armed with just a small knife and a bow he is shocked when he comes across an escape pod from an airplane he witnessed being shot out of the sky, containing a confused and frightened President of the United States. Realising quickly that the President is ill-equipped to survive in the harsh Finnish environment, and that the men who shot him down will soon come looking for him, Oskari takes it upon himself to protect the man. But how can a boy who can hardly draw a bow protect the most powerful man on the planet from trained killers?

Everything about this book is excellent. The story is fast-paced, extremely well written and is packed with unrelenting action. Oskari is a fantastic protagonist, a young boy crippled with self-doubt and a sense of worthlessness who discovers exactly how incredible he is, and the President, a man used to commanding armies who finds himself unable to survive without help. This will be appearing in the cinema in early 2015 so read the book before you see the film!