After the success of her debut youth novel, The Goblet Club, the young South African writer S.A. Partridge returns with Fuse, another exciting exponent of the genre. It tells the story of Justin Mullins and his adoptive brother, Kendall. While Justin is popular at school, knows how to stand up for himself, and has much going for him, Kendall is shy, introverted, and simply 'different'. Worst of all, Kendall is cruelly bullied by his peers who do not tolerate too much individuality. He stands out because of his long hair, dark clothes, piercings, and preference for heavy-metal music. We know the type – we all knew somebody like him at school and I am sure, sadly, most of us would not have been kinder. Justin likes his brother and tries to help, but he is more preoccupied with his own nemesis, the boys' abusive father. While their mother haplessly watches on, the two brothers have to find ways of coping with their father's frustration and relentless anger.

Kendall's world briefly – and unfortunately, literally – lights up when he meets the newcomer at his school, Craig Baumgartner. The two seem to have a lot in common and become friends. Together, as the only outsiders, they face the bullying of the others until one day Craig hatches a dangerous plan, with the intention of getting even with the kids who taunted them, no matter what. Eventually, Kendall has to make a tough choice between the loyalty to his new-found friend and his conscience.

When Craig's plans go haywire and he is arrested, assigning blame for his wrongdoings to Kendall, Justin comes to his brother's rescue and the two youngsters escape the relative safety of their home to face the hazards of living on the run. With their parents and the police in pursuit, the boys find themselves in some daunting situations. What keeps them going is their trust in each other: Justin's in Kendall's innocence which he will go to any extremes to protect, and Kendall's trust in his brother's ingenuity which helps them survive the worst ordeals.

Set in Cape Town and Pretoria, the novel craftily captures the atmosphere of living in the streets of the two cities. It is a gritty reality and Partridge does not spare her two characters. Homeless and hungry most of the time, they encounter the rough underbelly of society and have to get their hands dirty in order to make it through each and every day.

Fuse will most likely appeal to younger readers, many of whom might strongly identify with the predicaments these boys face, trying to negotiate their lives between the harsh demands of peer pressure and a dysfunctional family. But the story of Craig Baumgartner and the Mullins brothers has also something to offer for those of us who want to know why for so many young people suddenly violence becomes the only way out. One does not have to look far to find the Morné Harmses of our world, but we still have a fair deal to learn to understand them and, more importantly, to recognise the responsibility we all share in their making.

Partridge's rendition of the plight of growing up under such circumstances rings true. What I was a bit worried about is her depiction of the Mullins family at large which is not as believable. I found the description of the family's background insufficient to explain their present conflicts. Nevertheless, Fuse holds one's attention throughout and is a moving portrayal of a friendship between two boys who are brought together by fate as relatives while love transforms them into true brothers.

Fuse
by S.A. Partridge
Human & Rousseau, 2009