The Young Inferno — John Agard

Can our hoodie-clad hero make it through the nine circles of Hell and back again? Will he find love with his soul mate, Beatrice? In this red-hot retelling of Dante's Inferno, readers discover the city of Dis, where everybody disses everybody; meet Frankenstein, the lovesick bouncer with the bling; come face-to-face with the Furies, a gang of T-shirt-wearing, snake-haired females; and encounter a host of gluttons, bigots, and plunderers from the world of history and politics. Rich with lively references, from Shakespeare and Wagner to the Bible and Beauty and the Beast, The Young Inferno updates Dante's 14th-century masterpiece for a 21st-century audience. John Agard, one of the funniest and most popular poets in Britain today, offers an ambitious, energetic retelling in verse that sings with wit and originality while remaining true to the original text. Satoshi Kitamura's deliciously wicked, avant-garde artwork is a brilliant depiction of Dante's vision, and a delight for readers young and old.