Me, Myself and Ike
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- £6.99
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- £6.99
Publisher Description
After watching a TV program about Otzi, a 5,000-year-old "Ice Man," Kit's friend Ike becomes convinced that Kit's destiny is to become the next ice man—a source of information for future generations. Together they obtain artifacts they think will accurately reflect life in the early twenty-first century and plan their journey to a nearby mountain. Kit gets tattoos similar to Otzi's, writes a manifesto and tries to come to terms with making the ultimate sacrifice. As he grows more and more agitated and isolated, his family and friends suspect that something is terribly wrong, but before they can discover the true severity of the situation, Kit and Ike set off on what could be their last journey.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Denman (Perfect Revenge) offers a stark and fascinating portrait of a paranoid and delusional teenager. High school student Kit (a formerly popular kid who now sees his friends slipping away) and his friend Ike are obsessed with tzi the Iceman (a mummy discovered in the Alps in 1991) and fascinated by the insight into prehistoric man that his frozen body provided. They hatch a plan to gather artifacts of interest to future generations and freeze to death with them on a mountain, ensuring their eternal fame ("All those actors and rock stars who's going to even know their names?" Ike says. "But a guy who's, like, a messenger from the past, that's special. Extraordinary"). As Kit gathers artifacts and deflects questions from friends and family, he writes a "manifesto" about modern culture and hangs out with the increasingly abusive Ike. Denman deftly gets into the head of a mentally unwell teenager while telling a coherent, engaging story. Few will be surprised by the eventual revelations, but Kit's descent into madness will keep readers hooked, and Denman wisely doesn't pretend that mental illness is easily resolved. Ages 12 up.