Inside My Head by Jim Carrington

Guest review by Charlie Morris
Inside My Head tells the story of fifteen year old Zoë recently moved from London to rural
Norfolk with her mum and dad. Not best pleased with her parents decision to move she is
about to discover what life will be like at her new school.
Already at the school are Paul Knaggs the resident bully, David, Knaggs’ sidekick and
Gary Wood their desperately unhappy victim. Constantly bullied Gary is the school loner
and in the eyes of the other kids, he is the lowest of the low, the son of a ‘farmer’. As
Knagg’s unremitting bullying escalates and Gary’s temper reaches breaking point, David’s
loyalty to his bully friend is put to the test.
When Gary is suspended from school for fighting back he is befriended by Zoë who has a
totally new perspective on the situation. As David struggles with his conscience, the need
for him to take a stand against Knaggs before the situation gets completely out of control
becomes more and more urgent.
Inside My Head started life as a short story inspired by anti-bullying week and portrays the
gritty realities of teenage life in a small rural community. Narrated from the points of view of
the main characters the reader is offered a look inside the heads of the bully, the victim,
the best mate and the newcomer making for a challenging examination of the impact of
bullying and the consequences taking a stand which keeps the reader guessing until the
very end.