Synopsis

It was a stupid, insane, suicidal idea. Which makes it quite hard to explain why I decided to help. I guess it boils down to this. Charlie was my best friend. I missed him. And I couldn’t think of anything better to do. Really stupid reasons which were never going to impress the police, the headmistress or my parents.

Looking back, I reckon this was the moment when my whole life started to go pear shaped.

Author

Mark Haddon is the author of bestselling novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. boom! was originally published as Gridzbi Spudvetch! in 1992 with this rewritten version published in 2009.

What I Thought

boom! Is a fun, pacy middle grade where Jimbo (James) and his friend Charlie discover something unusual when they bug the teacher’s staff room at school. With echoes of the Demon Headmaster it is up to them to uncover the nefarious plot. Then Charlie goes missing. Older sister Becky turns out to care more than she lets on, and the two of them head off on her boyfriend’s motorbike to discover what goes boom!

Very much of its original age there is some gender stereotyping that is perhaps a little unhelpful at times but Jimbo is a likeable little imp and you want him to triumph.

Jimbo and Charlie have a fun friendship. The adults are most definitely comic relief. Charlie’s mum is a little extreme!

Full of adventure and humour with the kids most definitely in charge.