Fiction-Net > Book Reviews > A Lone Walk Book Review Title Author Publisher A Lone Walk Gul Y Davis Tindal Street Press Fiction-Net Rating Buy It From Amazon UK - Buy This Book Cover Story Wil's break for freedom from a brutal psychiatric regime confronts him with unexpected choices. Who can he trust? An alluring voice from his childhood dreams? Or a big hearted nurse who reassures him, "Not all of these places are the same"? Gul Y. Davis' nightmarish vision is balanced by wit, tenderness and a passionate sense of humanity. We Say As a novella, A Lone Walk is the shortest work I have reviewed for Fiction-Net so far. However, the emphasis here is firmly placed on quality rather than quantity. It's hard to believe that Gul Y Davis was only twenty-seven years old when we wrote A Lone Walk, such is the assurance and skill of his writing. He is entirely sure-footed in his plotting and characterisation of what must have been a difficult tale to tell. The subject matter is sensitive - the abusive childhood and subsequent treatment of a young psychiatric patient. William Shaw runs away from home just a week after being discharged from a long stint in care, only to be picked up and returned to another but possibly better (?) unit. The story alternates between the present and the past as Gul Davis builds up a picture of the horror of Wil's previous care - if 'care' can be considered to be the correct word - and how this affects his personality and his responses to his new environment. Gul Davis does not shy away from dealing with the subject with honesty and frankness. With a first-person narrative, there is really no escape from the full impact of the sheer awfulness of Wil's experience. The writer's insight into his main character is startling and complete. At times the prose is beautiful and poetic, at others, brutal and sharp. The contrast is most obvious as Wil struggles inside his head to find his own identity and is then jolted back to the physical shocks of the "real world". It's a good mix that works well to carry the reader through the story. Though undeniably sad, A Lone Walk as a whole is totally convincing and worthy. Review by: Rachel Taylor Buy It From Amazon UK - Buy This Book