Wednesday 18 February 2015

Danny Wallace - Hamish and the Worldstoppers - Book Review (Simon & Schuster )


Book Blurb: What would YOU do...if the whole world just stopped? Yes the WHOLE WORLD. Birds in the air. Planes in the sky. And every single person on the planet - except you! Because that's what keeps happening to ten-year-old Hamish Ellerby. And it's being caused by The WorldStoppers and their terrifying friends The Terribles! They have a PLAN! They want to take our world for their own ...Oh, and they hate children. Especially if you're a child who knows about them. Hang on - You know now, don't you? Oh dear. Can Hamish save us from the WorldStoppers? Only time will tell!

Book Review: Thinking back to his childhood provided a great inspiration for the comedian Danny Wallace to write his first children's novel 'Hamish and the Worldstoppers'. It is a book that will stay with you for years to come; a book that will leaving you feeling better. In my opinion, nothing makes you feel better than laughter and this book has it in spades. 


From the very first page, you can tell that the author has had so much fun in writing and breathing the world of Hamish (a ten year old boy). Hamish starts to notice something very unusual happening when the world just keeps stopping. This leads to a world of many possibilities - just imagine that you are the only person in the world not to be affected by it? What could you get up to? Unfortunately, the only problem are The Terribles, who are monsters that can move through stopped time with deadly consequences....


It's a fantastic trip into Danny's childhood imagination. Rooted in his own reading experiences from Richmal Crompton to PG Wodehouse, you can see the influences injected into the story with some Dahl-like moments also included. This is a quirky read which is really quite different. It's definitely not what I was expecting, but enjoyable all the same. 


The plot is surreal. It has some scary moments and slightly bizarre incidents which younger readers will absolutely love. It's a non-stop rollercoaster full of action and adventure. It is a very cool read, in my opinion. The characters are fantastic and the monsters full of originality which leave this adding up to a story to be remembered. 


The story is set in Starkley, the fourth most boring town in Britain, but that all changes in the blink of an eye. With grown-ups mysteriously disappearing, and those that are left acting very odd, the world soon comes to a stop. No one moves. Nothing. Except the story, which comes to an explosive ending that will leave you wanting much more....


Fuelled by many silly moments that leave you smiling from head to toe, this story is a brilliant read. The sweet shop encounters will leave your senses on overload and your brain frazzled by the sugary delights. 


The outstanding illustrations in the finished copy are by Jamie Littler. They are incredibly cool and provide another feast for the eyes and imagination. 


This is another amazing and unexpected read. Hopefully, it will find the readers who love a good story whatever age they are....


Published by  Simon & Schuster Childrens Books (12 March 2015)

1 comment:

  1. My husband is a librarian and our children love reading so this is a perfect blog for us! I'm going to point the kids in your direction x

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