The Shiny Guys

by Doug MacLeod

'Wouldn't it be funny if they were real?'

'Shiny red men?'

'What if I were the sane one and everyone else was mad?'

Where does reality end and fantasy begin? This question is explored in Doug MacLeod’s The Shiny Guys. Fifteen year old Colin sees giant cockroaches that stalk him and eventually compel him into their world. Colin has a dark secret past that haunts him and his family. Will the shiny guys help him or drag him further into a refuge of fantasy? His ‘friends’ in ward 44 are carried along into the drama, but they have their own issues to deal with.


The Shiny Guys is shortlisted for Book of the Year and I hope it wins! This was a fascinating read and I would recommend it, especially for the study of Appearance vs Reality.

reviewed by Mrs Sue D.