“He presses all the right buttons, keeps control of his plot and even lets Georgie meet her future self in the best Back to the Future style.”

NO MAJOR SPOILERS

Time travel is Welford’s thing and this book he returns to that favourite theme. Throwing in that other popular cli fi sci fi favourite, the antidote defying virus. Since this piece of sci fi is designed for ten year olds and up, Welford chooses the theme of a dog plague that may or may not have been accidentally started by young Georgie who lives with her father, brother and father’s girlfriend Jessica at Whitley Bay.

Jessica tests antidotes but is allergic to dogs which results in Georgie’s beloved Mr Mash being sent away to St Woof’s home for dogs – well St Wulfstan’s actually. Her best friend is the bright Ramzy Rahman and the two of them stumble into an adventure when they meet the eccentric Dr Emilia Pretorius who is experimenting with virtual reality with a difference. And it all gets mixed up with a deadly virus that cuts the dog loving British nation – here he throws in a king with a Jack Russell – to the heart.

Welford gradually ups the pace and has his readers on the edge of their seats wondering whether in the end all this time travel and encounters with cops and lethal scorpions will be worth it. He presses all the right buttons, keeps control of his plot and even lets Georgie meet her future self in the best Back to the Future style. While keeping the family situations and the characters realistic and mixing tragedy and joy the way it is in real life.

 

Reviewed by:

Anjana Basu

Added 2nd March 2019

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Anjana Basu