Naive but bright, twelve-year-old David Kelly suddenly finds himself entering a conservative Irish boarding school, meeting strangers, confronting bell-ringing and rigid rules. He quickly befriends a foreign exchange student, Angelo Bonelli, who hints at being bullied. That night, amid lightning and thundering weather, David awakes to a loud scream. He sleeps intermittently. Next morning, Angelo is missing. David suspects he was harmed. At breakfast, he is floored by the rule-enforcer vice president, Dr. Sternward, for speaking out as they await grace-before meals. David has acquired an archenemy. His incredible adventure begins.
He witnesses a prep boy, Niall Cullen, abused by the vice president, and is himself bullied by older boys. He learns of a secret society, the shavers' protection club, that engages in unsavory, corrupt behavior. He doesn't know where to turn. David's older brother Sean, a top athlete, is unhelpful. Another first-year boy, Mogue Malone, listens but is unaware of what is going on. David's brilliant lawyer cousin, Kevin Flynn, offers welcome advice and makes himself available. David finds relief by exploring the nearby woods with Mogue; they encounter and befriend two girls from the local convent. In Gaelic football, he is flattened by a fearless, hulking 'Cyclops' who relentlessly intimidates all opponents and referees. In hurling, he captains a minor team, but his efforts are frustrated by a biased coach who practices a personal and cozy relationship with certain boys.
David discovers that the vice president harbors a long-term ambition to revive the castrati tradition, that Angelo, with his beautiful, his unbroken mellifluous voice, was intended to become Ireland's first Farinelli. He plots to bring down the vice president and his secret society. He also strives to improve the quality of school life and organizes students to eliminate corporal punishment, improve inadequate food, correct coaches' favoritism, expand school resources, eliminate bad teaching, initiate student representation, and--not least--end bullying.
The Bonellis invite David to visit Italy. This is a major breakthrough: his mind is opened. He examines his own cherished Irish prejudices; he challenges conservative religious views and questions mono-cultural Irish values. He develops his debating and public speaking skills. His confidence and self-esteem soar. He gains insights into his own teenage identity.
Together with Angelo, David delivers a lecture to the student body on his Italy visit. He opens students' minds. But the shavers' protection club are out for his blood. He is caught out-of-bounds when visiting the convent girls ... and is expelled.
But David is not a quitter. Battle-ready, he fights back.
外文書商品之書封，為出版社提供之樣本。實際出貨商品，以出版社所提供之現有版本為主。部份書籍，因出版社供應狀況特殊，匯率將依實際狀況做調整。
無庫存之商品，在您完成訂單程序之後，將以空運的方式為你下單調貨。為了縮短等待的時間，建議您將外文書與其他商品分開下單，以獲得最快的取貨速度，平均調貨時間為1~2個月。
為了保護您的權益，「三民網路書店」提供會員七日商品鑑賞期(收到商品為起始日)。
若要辦理退貨，請在商品鑑賞期內寄回，且商品必須是全新狀態與完整包裝(商品、附件、發票、隨貨贈品等)否則恕不接受退貨。
