Born Scared by Kevin Brooks

The fear of fear itself is what plagues Elliot. He has always been riddled and overcome with anxiety and fear. He can't remember when he wasn't, and believe you me he has vivid memories from his very beginning. Or perhaps he just imagines it to be so in an attempt to understand his fear.

I think it is worth debating whether fear can actually be nature as opposed to nurture.The temperament of a child is already defined in the womb and by the first weeks after it has been born. The disposition can be affected by extreme stress and/or trauma during the mother's pregnancy. The premature birth and loss of Ellamay may account for exactly that kind of stress.

On a side note I don't believe a mother would name one and not the other. I just had to throw that in there.

His conversations with Ellamay are interesting. She seems to be his moral compass and support system. She is his only friend. It's perhaps natural given the circumstances of his birth.

Brooks had me up until the switch to a wee bit psycho. The authentic feel of someone literally crippled by anxiety went straight out of the window. A shame really, because it could have been so much more than just another book about a potential crime.

Buy Born Scared at Amazon UK or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.