A ‘Kestrel for a Knave’ is an interesting story; I do like the perspective the author has shown that challenges the common stereotype of the midlands being a barren place with no nature of note.
I thought it had a decent range of characters; I liked the fact Hines chose personality traits in Billy which are uncommon in most young male protagonists; for example, Billy has a love for nature and a dislike of sport, which is somewhat of a rarity in fictitious teenage boys.
I’d like to talk about the ending. The last chapter had a bit of a long winded page dedicated to description; the ending itself was somewhat anti-climactic, but other than that, I have no comments; I would give it 4 stars. For me, Kes is not quite a classic, but it is certainly a decent and enjoyable read.
Thanks, Saffron.
PS, I have painted a watercolour of ‘Kes’- Billy’s kestrel. Here are the three main stages of my process:
School on the Marsh 