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INTERMEDIATE FICTION
Ochieng, Patrick

Playing a Dangerous Game

208 pp. | Accord | August, 2021 | Trade ISBN 978-1-324-01913-8 $17.95 | Ebook ISBN 978-1-324-01914-5
(2) 4-6 Growing up in 1970s Nairobi--and Railway Estate in particular--offers plenty for four young boys to do. Ten-year-old Lumush, whose railway-worker father has just gotten a promotion, is being sent to "snobby" Hill School, without Odush, Dado, and Mose. But the boys manage to stay best friends, hanging out by the old wrecked Zephyr car sitting up on stones behind the Estate, playing a game of chance called pata potea, wandering the neighborhood, climbing trees, stealing fruit, and watching the sprayers manage the mosquito population. They are especially drawn to the mystery of the "ghost house," where a white woman and her daughter died years before. Lumush ignores his mama's oft-repeated warning about sticking his nose in other people's business, and, indeed, spying on that "evil house" almost costs him his life. Ochieng's debut novel for young readers offers a richly realized setting, four well-drawn protagonists, and a neighborhood mystery that's also tied to the politics and economics of the time and place. Four ordinary boys, a creepy puzzle to solve, and a fumbling route to heroism add up to a rewarding read.
Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

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