Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle
Paddy Clarke is the hilarious, heart warming story of love, pain and loss. Paddy Clarke tells the story of a boy growing up in working class Dublin - the boy's family is central to his existence, yet his parents grow increasingly apart, bickering and fighting steadily. His father eventually strikes his mother and leaves soon after. Meanwhile Paddy grows anxious, loses sleep, deliberately toughens himself and loses his friends... Paddy is extremely observant, has a fantastic vocabulary, and the book is written in a very anecdotal style - all of these things account for a truly exceptional read!