Book: Spud Author: John Van De Ruit. Available at: Library Ikirezi, Kacyiru.Reviewed by: Martin BishopTHIS POPULAR modern day novel about life in an all-boys boarding school is written in the style of a diary. The story begins on the morning of Spud’s first day at a private boarding school, following his year and experiences with the often eccentric characters found in the school environment. The diary also follows Spud’s family life. It is set in the 1990s, a time when Apartheid was crumbling and Nelson Mandela had just been released from prison.The story captures both the hilarious and gloomier moments in Spud’s life. Cursed with parents from well beyond the lunatic fringe, a senile granny, and a dormitory full of strange lunatics, Spud has his hands full trying to adapt to his new surroundings. Surrounded by names such as Gecko, Rambo, Rain Man and Mad Dog, Spud takes his first tentative steps along the path towards manhood. Armed with only his wits and his diary, Spud takes us from illegal night swimming to the cricket pitch, from ghost busting to a catastrophic family travel. He also invites us into the mind of a boy struggling to come to terms with a strange new world; a boy whose eyes are crooked and being opened to love, friendship, and complete insanity.