The Convicts

The Convicts by Iain Lawrence
Teen Zone Fiction-Main Level LAWRENCE


Tom Tin’s life is about to get horribly worse. A young teen in 19th century London, Tom has already experienced the death of his sister, the ensuing madness of his mother, and finally Tom has to watch his father being thrown in debtor’s prison. Tom’s fortunes briefly appear to be turning around when he finds a diamond on the shoreline. However, Tom’s diamond is lost during a botched grave robbing attempt while soon afterwards a case of mistaken identity and false accusations will put Tom in a prison ship for boys. Here, he will have to find the strength to simply survive let alone possibly escape.

The Convicts by Iain Lawrence is the first part of a trilogy concerning Tom Tin and his friends. The novel is an excellent book for readers who are looking for a story with adventure or one that has characters overcoming adversity and changing for the better. Tom does not start out as a particularly noble young boy. He is more than a little selfish, self-serving, and sometimes even cruel. By the end however, he starts to value and look out for his friends and family more than before his ordeal. An enjoyable historical fiction read for any age.