Shadow of the Beast

Hodder Literature: a new and exciting series of literature titles for Key Stage 3 for whole class use.

The story of a traumatised teenager's slow recovery from the devastating car accident which left him severely injured and killed his father.

It follows the 'stream of consciousness' of Troy, suffering from post-traumatic amnesia, his struggle to remember bound up with his gradual realisation and acceptance of his father's death.

In Troy's often dream-like state, he returns in his imagination to the world of myth and legend -- sometimes experiencing life as Wiglaf, a boy from Saxon times, who befriends and listens to the Bard telling the story of Beowulf and the beast, Grendel.

These characters, so central to his view of his father, become merged with the present narrative of his recovery and his eventual acceptance of his father's death.