It is often said that those who are best able to prevent youth from being lost in a life of crime are those who have walked that dark path and made it into the light. In Brian Montgomery’s The Hay Patrollers we see the results of characters who have gone through just that. In this second installment we reunite with Degsy Hay and jump straight into the fire, in a manner of speaking. Degsy’s whole world gets tipped upside down, yet he tries to carry on with his passion of giving purpose to those youth who feel like they have none. Degsy’s fight for survival in this book is rooted in passion and desperation. How far will he go?

The book is written in the first person in very relaxed language. As the writer is British, some of the slang might be difficult to make out for those who are unfamiliar with it. It doesn’t detract from the amazing tale that lies within, however. It just means that readers need to allot themselves a proper amount of time as they won’t be able to just blast through this book. It’s not too long but long enough to wrap up any potential loose ends. The series could continue, or it could end right here with this book. Only time will tell.

The human emotion that is displayed in this book is strong enough to evoke the emotions of the reader. The pain, trials and tribulations that Degsy and his crew must face before being able to move forward with their lives are palpable. Children do not choose a life of crime because they want to: they choose it because that is the only avenue left to them. Degsy knows this; he has lived this. He uses his experiences and passion in order to reach out that hand these children so desperately need.

Brian Montgomery hopefully won’t let The Hay Patrollers be the last in his series of juvenile crime-prevention. There is so much more these characters have to give to readers and there are likely more youth who need to read this book and see that there is more to the world than darkness. This book will tug at your heart-strings and leave you wanting more.

Pages: 165 | ASIN: B07MTNX4VB