Skip to main content
Digital Audiobook
Orangeboy by Patrice Lawrence

Listen to a sample

00:00
00:00

Orangeboy

Black Stories Matter (Related to this series)

Publisher
Hachette Children's Group
Publish Date
2 March 2017
Run Time
8 hours 59 minutes
Format
Audiobook

Not available in your country

We don't have the rights to sell this audiobook where you are. If it's already in your library you can still listen to it in My Books.

What to expect

'A truly brilliant book. I galloped through it... edge of the seat stuff!' Malorie Blackman

'Pitch-perfect teen voices and a bruising, thrilling pace.' Metro

'Direct and punchy.' The Guardian

'A contemporary urban thriller with a powerful family drama at its heart.' The Bookseller

"What a book! Such a gripping, gritty storyline, with such wonderful, believable characters. Loved it." (Tanya Landman, author of Buffalo Soldier)

Not cool enough, not clever enough, not street enough for anyone to notice me. I was the kid people looked straight through.

NOT ANY MORE. NOT SINCE MR ORANGE.

Sixteen-year-old Marlon has made his mum a promise - he'll never follow his big brother, Andre, down the wrong path. So far, it's been easy, but when a date ends in tragedy, Marlon finds himself hunted. They're after the mysterious Mr Orange, and they're going to use Marlon to get to him. Marlon's out of choices - can he become the person he never wanted to be, to protect everyone he loves?

(P) 2017 Hodder Children's Books

Critics Review

  • Promoted as a gritty coming-of-age drama urban thriller with a powerful message and an irresistable central character

    The Voice

  • A contemporary urban thriller with a powerful family drama at its heart

    The Bookseller

  • I liked the lack of judgement the author made and the fact this is ultimately an action packed story with a strong male protagonist

    Bibliomaniac

  • Keeps the reader enthralled and wanting more

    Nudge.com

See more reviews
  • One of those books I wish had been written when I was a teenager...simply brilliant

    Medieval Jenga

  • What a book! Such a gripping, gritty storyline, with such wonderful, believable characters. Loved it

    Tanya Landman, author

  • 'I absolutely adored this story...it's a truthful and powerful story that is much needed in the UK YA scene

    Charlie in a Book

  • Pacey crime thriller that feels unique, realistic and truthful

    Book Trust

  • A gripping debut about gang culture and the consequences of making bad decisions

    The Guardian

  • It is direct and punchy

    The Guardian

  • The book travels at speed to a climax that is both sudden and shocking. This story of family ties, gang culture and the dangers of drugs is without a doubt one of the finest YA debuts I've read and Marlon Sunday is a character that you won't forget in a hurry.

    The Crime Review

  • This powerful coming-of-age drama -- both violent and sensitive -- keeps the reader on the edge of their seat

    Optima Magazine

  • Readers with strong stomachs can expect to be entirely hooked into a story that is well written, pacy and within its own terms horribly convincing

    Books For Keeps

  • Patrice Lawrence's Orangeboy - an exploration of gang culture centred around Marlon, who follows in his older brother's footsteps when an innocent date ends in tragedy - won the 2017 YA book Prize.

    Independent

  • Orange Boy is a page turner. It gripped my heart from page one and didn't let go.

    Marlon goes on a date with the hottest girl in school and his world begins to tip. And it doesn't stop until everything in his life is upside down.
    Faced with almost impossible choices, Marlon has to grow up fast and work out exactly who he is at the same time as working out how to survive.

    This is a book that explores the meaning of family, friendship and loyalty. And it does so with intelligence and sensitivity.

    It's fast, clever, often funny and always truthful. Patrice Lawrence is a writer to watch.

    Jenny Downham, author of 'Before I Die'

  • What a book! Such a gripping, gritty storyline, with such wonderful, believable characters. Loved it.

    Tanya Landman, author of 'Buffalo Soldier'

User Reviews

No reviews yet.

Details

Author
Patrice Lawrence
Narrator
Ben Bailey Smith
Duration
8 hours 59 minutes
Release Date
2 March 2017
ISBN
9781444940299
Format
Audiobook
Publisher
Hachette Children's Group
Genre
Children’s / Teenage fiction: Thrillers / suspense, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Families and family members, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Crime and mystery fiction

Synopsis

'A truly brilliant book. I galloped through it... edge of the seat stuff!' Malorie Blackman'Pitch-perfect teen voices and a bruising, thrilling pace.' Metro'Direct and punchy.' The Guardian'A contemporary urban thriller with a powerful family drama at its heart.' The Bookseller"What a book! Such a gripping, gritty storyline, with such wonderful, believable characters. Loved it." (Tanya Landman, author of Buffalo Soldier) Not cool enough, not clever enough, not street enough for anyone to notice me. I was the kid people looked straight through.NOT ANY MORE. NOT SINCE MR ORANGE.Sixteen-year-old Marlon has made his mum a promise - he'll never follow his big brother, Andre, down the wrong path. So far, it's been easy, but when a date ends in tragedy, Marlon finds himself hunted. They're after the mysterious Mr Orange, and they're going to use Marlon to get to him. Marlon's out of choices - can he become the person he never wanted to be, to protect everyone he loves?(P) 2017 Hodder Children's Books

About xigxag

xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.

There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.

Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.

Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.