A review by saroz162
Doctor Who: Nuclear Time by Oli Smith

2.0

Not charmed, I'm afraid. The limitations of the regular New Series range are, once again, made frustratingly clear: this is an action book for older kids, and I'm not sure what they're supposed to get out of it. The regulars are characterized well enough, but never in a particularly vivid manner, and the story revolves around the sort of time hijinks that have come to represent the Matt Smith era. Personally, I found it frustrating to follow, more a gimmick than a plot - and I dislike the way real-world, adult situations are played down and simplified in a kids' book way, but without any wit or style to account for that. There are quite a few ridiculous phrases for Americans - no American says "Cheers!" unless they're a pretty far-gone Anglophile, sorry - but that's just a slight stylistic annoyance. The real problem, I think, is the totally fantastical situation of the novel, which is then played totally straight. The result is a complex plot gimmick wrapped in a very simple outer shell. It's like reading a tricksy mystery novel without entertaining characters or even a unique writing style. It just isn't much fun.