BANK

School friends in an Irish village set up their own bank to make a profit but earn a heap of trouble.

Although their “other grand schemes” have “failed miserably over the years,” Luke Morrissey agrees to join Finn Fitzpatrick, Gabe O’Rourke, Pablo Silva, Koby Kowalski, and Emily Clarke, all 14, in setting up a bank to lend money to classmates, charging interest and late fees. They agree to stay small and only lend to people they know, but their scheme quickly spirals out of control—a possibility Luke was well aware of—as they invest in a dating app and otherwise further expand well beyond the original plan. Luke ignores his uneasy feelings, partly so he can contribute money to the household to help his parents. Emily’s and Koby’s good sense doesn’t prevail over Finn’s overconfidence and Gabe’s unpredictability, and a series of madcap mix-ups and trouble follows. By the time Finn wonders aloud if things could get any worse, readers will know the answer is most definitely, yes, they can, and they do, in a farcical way. Toward the end, Luke reflects that they lost control, but at least they escaped “relatively unharmed.” Have they learned from their experience? Not likely. The snappy dialogue and colloquialisms do much to bring the setting to life. The story works both as a zany romp and an entertaining introduction to the global banking crisis and is likely to appeal to fans of Frank Cottrell-Boyce’s work.

Breathless, high-stakes hijinks.