MOSTYN THOMAS AND THE BIG RAVE

Richard Williams (Graffeg)

It’s easy reading Richard Williams’ Mostyn Thomas And The Big Rave. It’s staggeringly Welsh, showing the inner rumblings of life in Pembrokeshire and more specifically, of the tough time had by farmers in the 90s. Mostyn owns a cattle farm and is in some serious financial trouble, which only gets worse when he tries to keep on top of it with a not-so-sound loan. To try and remedy this and save the life he knows and cherishes, he teams up with a young man called Jethro. An unlikely friendship forms between these two people, who have an alarmingly similar state of mind considering the differences in their age and lifestyle. Jethro, who is in drug-related trouble himself, needs money and suggests they organise a big rave on Mostyn’s farm – Lewistock. So, the process begins and with the help of some stock-standard, friendly, mismatched locals from the pub, they begin planning and spreading the word. Between the pull from the constant humorous questioning of ‘will they pull it off?’ and ‘does Mostyn actually understand what a rave is?’, the book is finished before you know it. With the help of some resident bad guys with names like Weird Head and The Growler, as well as some loyal friends and helpful strangers, Williams delves into the dark, twisted, and sometimes hilariously ridiculous world of drugs, desperation and rave culture. All of this, somehow, without ever being too morbid. MEGAN THOMAS

Price: £8.99. Info: www.graffeg.com