Vernon God Little is a brilliantly entertaining and engrossing satirical look at media frenxy and an innocent boy at the center of it all. Vernon Little isn’t asking for a lot from life, but when an incident involving a Columbine like massacre occurs in his town, Vernon is the source of attention, being inadvertently blamed for the deaths. The attention is unwanted and faricial since Vernon was simply a witness. Still, without the presence of the child who caused the massacre having killed himself, the only direction grief seems to know is Vernon’s.

If it’s not enough that Vernon’s having to deal with whispers behind his back, a mother who seems intent on saving face by pretending life at home is fine, Vernon’s recently made new friend Lally seems keen on Vernon telling his side of the story of what happened. In reality he’s simply another American who wants his 15 minutes of fame and o take the limelight in the media world.

DBC Pierre is no angelic messiah himself, with a chequered past that makes for equally interesting reading. Still, past aside, he has managed to create one of the richest debut titles I’ve read for a while. It offers an interesting and disturbing satire of the world we live in right now, particularly in America, where media frenzy is par for course. The injustice that is passed upon Vernon is fascinating to read, and realistic, never taking away the fantasy. Sure it’s all over the top and exaggerated, but not by much.

I loved reading Vernon God Little from start to finish. The characters were engaging, and the language both vibrant and colourful

The similarities with Columbine are there, with everyone providing their own opinion as to what the cause of the incident is. Lally perpetuates the Vernon’s guilt by manipulating the media, Vernon’s mother and the law enforcement to such an extent that Vernon’s guilt is simply a matter of falsified fact. Engagingly we follow Vernon’s dichotmy of proving his innocence and trying hard not to disappoint his mother who he treasures, even if the sentiments are lacking in reciprication.

I loved reading Vernon God Little from start to finish. The characters were engaging, and the language both vibrant and colourful, bending conventions and offering something refreshing. The twists and turns that Little takes carry the reader on a journey through the eyes of a young boy who intuitively twists the system on to itself which offers both laughs and a thrilling finale to the proceedings. DBC Pierre was on to a winner the moment he started writing. Whether he can better this, is to be seen.

Verdict: A rich and varied use of the English language and characters that absorb the reader