Although aimed at the 9-12 market, this comic tale had me in stitches. From Aphrodite running a dating agency to Mammon disguised as a despicable member of the Rich List, the myths of old are contemporised in such a fashion that no 9-12 year old reading it will ever again confuse the Goddess of Love with the Goddess of Wisdom. Mary Evans is the mistress of the witty one-liner - "as neutral as a magnolia sitting room in Switzerland"; "as rich as King Midas. Before he invested all his wealth in sea front property in Atlantis." I can't wait for the next one in the series.
Packed with "in" jokes for adults, WHO LET THE GODS OUT is the book equivalent of a Pixar movie, but it's not so grown up it'll fly over the kids' heads either. Mary Evans' writing is sharp, witty and wonderfully saucy, reminiscent of Roald Dahl at his finest and the illustrations cleverly evoke a Quentin Crisp-style feel to go with the text. This is a great, family friendly book for tweens that WON'T be a monumental drag for parents to read to their spawn - such a rare treat! Recommended.
This book has been exchanging hands in my family and for good reason. The plot is audacious: from the Greek gods' somewhat illegal, yet heroic schemes to Her Majesty's deployment of hidden talents, there isn't a dull moment in this story. Driving the thrill ride along is a superb and sophisticated flair for comedy. However, the author is not above a few gags about bodily functions which will be greeted with glee by her younger audience (and let's face it, the majority of her adult readers too). Great writing and a cracking story - what more could you want? Well, for me, what made this novel really work was the protagonist Elliot; a loveable rogue who truly has his heart in the right place and for whom you are rooting all the way. More please, Ms Evans.
My 14 year old son and I both loved this funny, inventive and deeply engaging book. The struggles of Elliot to cope with a difficult home life, troubles at school and then a god arriving in his cow shed kept us laughing out loud, turning pages and thoroughly gripped. I think it's a difficult act to pull off to have a story that is so funny, action packed and where you care a great deal about the main characters plight. And all of this plus the Queen making an even more surprising appearance that the 2012 Olympic opening ceremony. It's the mark of any good book that I reluctantly finish it, wishing the experience didn't have to end, so I can't wait for the next instalment.