School Library Journal
Gr 7 Up-- Set in working class London, We Are All Guilty centers on one incident in the life of Clive, an unemployed, directionless, and bored dropout who hates his stepfather and seems destined to drift until he finds trouble. Inevitably, that trouble comes when Clive and a friend, on a whim, break into a warehouse and cause the guard to fall off a platform and become paralyzed. The rest of the story is a quickly unfolding tale of Clive's desire to be guilty and get on with it and the various attempts of others to excuse his actions because of his background and lack of opportunity. From his mother, to the local vicar and the social service agents, all try to downplay his responsibility for the act. Clive's dilemma is real, and the story is believable. However, the ending, in which even Clive's unforgiving and intolerant stepfather begins to excuse his act, is difficult to swallow. This is a spare moral tale, a crisp, if tiny, glimpse at learning to accept responsibility. Does environment create crime? Amis clearly thinks the case in favor is lame. Good characters help make the heavy message more palatable. --Steve Matthews, Foxcroft School, Middleburg, VA