Claire McFall's new novel is a highly topical version of the teenage dystopia craze. In Bombmaker, the UK is in economic crisis, and England has closed the borders to their Celtic neighbours in Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Any Celt found in England is tattooed with a Celtic knot and deported – if they return to England, they are executed. Despite this danger, Lizzie, a teenager from Glasgow, returns to England after being branded in the hope of finding work, but is instead forced into virtual slavery for Alexander, a London gang boss and terrorist.

Although Lizzie is the bomb-maker of the title, much of the book is devoted, not to her role combatting the English government, but to her relationships with various male characters, including the sweet, naïve Mark, the more complex Samuel, and the ruthless Alexander himself, who sexually exploits Lizzie.

Even though Bombmaker is a dystopian thriller, it still plays along with that old stereotype that any book with a female protagonist has to focus on love and relationships. I look forward to a mainstream book that finally breaks that stereotype!

While Bombmaker is certainly a thrilling page-turner, McFall seems more concerned with being 'gritty' and 'controversial' than about creating a believable novel. The upshot of this is that the book is unremittingly miserable. Nothing ever goes right for Lizzie, and in the end the reader runs out of sympathy, becoming desensitised by the constant violence and bored by the monotony of
the action.

In addition, judging from the 'Marketing and Publicity' comments on the back of the uncorrected book proof, the publishers seem most concerned with promoting a Scottish author and referencing the Scottish referendum debate.

As a Scottish teenager, I am, to be honest, quite sick of hearing about the independence debate! However, if you like miserable dystopias and twisted 'love' stories, then Bombmaker may be for you.

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