Nature of the Beast By Janni Howker.

The first 200 words of this essay...

Critical Essay: Nature of the Beast,

By Janni Howker

Patrick Dempsey

It is no easy matter to form an opinion on this book. It has many good points but also has a few points that are not so positive.

I will start with the good points, one of which is the characters and the way that Janni Howker portrays them. Billy, whose eyes the story is seen through, is a particularly strong and colourful character, and by the end of the first few chapters one feels as if one knows Billy and can sympathise with all the problems he has. Billy, at a young age, is almost forced into being a lot more responsible and mature than he might be in 'normal' circumstances. For example, on more than one occasion he undresses his drunken father and puts him to bed; he does this completely of his own accord, which is unusual for a person of his age. As well as that Billy looks after his Father in other ways; 'I made you a pot of tea Dad' and, 'I've made you some breakfast Dad'. That is one of the ways in which the author creates