As well as contending with racism from his school mates, there is racism from the teachers. One teacher calls the other Asian boy Mowgli and AK wonders whether this boy is more Indian than he is, because AK thinks of himself as English.  Bullying at school is not all AK has to put up with.  His mother gives up her career to look after him but blames AK for a decision she took, maybe culturally defined, but certainly not something AK has to take responsibility for.  He does however also have some memory of his mother fighting his corner after he was poorly treated at nursery school.

A highlight of school is AK’s friendship with Katy.  They would sit together at the back of the school coach and talk and compare their music likes. At 14 years old, he was in love and suffered terribly when after a reckless dive from the cliffs by Max, Max pulled Katy.  This of course hurts as only young love can hurt.  To lose his best friend and then be taunted about it by his enemy is cruel. 

There is an encounter at an airport when he is going on holiday with his family to family in Canada.  He is pulled aside by security and asked questions he cannot answer.  It is traumatising and contributes to his feeling of alienation.  He gets a job in kitchens and moves away from the island to Part Two, The City: London. 

His mother phones AK with a long list of complaints and then wonders why he doesn’t phone her.  His father describes a nasty incident on the island where a group of boys shout racial insults at AK’s parents.  There is mention in London of the Chilean man shot by police and descriptions of right wing marches threatening immigrants.  A boy is killed in South London by racists.

He links up with Katy in London but Max reappears.  He ignores the pleas from his sister to come home and the consequences are dire.  Part Three, Home: Endgame.  The cumulation of events for AK are shattering and he doesn’t like what he has become.  This enthralling story also leaves us broken.