Why read I'm the King of the Castle?

Book cover of I'm the King of the Castle

Book description

I'm the King of the Castle by Susan Hill is a chilling novel that explores the extremes of childhood cruelty, now published as a Penguin Essential for the first time.

'Some people are coming here today, now you will have a companion.'

But young Edmund Hooper doesn't want anyone else…

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Why read it?

1 author picked I'm the King of the Castle as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Alison Moore

Author

I have a soft (tender, bruised) spot for stories exploring childhood bullying, and Susan Hill’s I’m the King of the Castle is one of the best. I also love big creaky old houses, and here we have Warings, a big creaky Victorian house inherited by Joseph Hooper, who moves in with his son, Edmund. Joseph, a widower, brings into the household a housekeeper-cum-companion and her son, Charles Kingshaw. Edmund does not want to share ‘his’ house and lets Charles know he’s unwelcome, but the grown-ups insist that the boys, both ten years old, will be friends, and go on insisting…

From Alison's list on in which things take a nasty turn.