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A review by katykelly
The Beast of Buckingham Palace by David Walliams
2.0
Dark dystopia, target market may find themselves confused.
2.5 stars.
By 'confused' I mean that readers may wonder if they are in fact reading Walliams, as well as being a little confused as the story progresses. There is nothing amiss about a writer branching out, sampling new genres and moving outside their comfort zone (comedic writing is clearly a genre Walliams can write almost in his sleep).
But my nearly 9-year-old listened along with me and his assessment was roughly similar to mine upon finishing. He just didn't enjoy it all that much. He found it dark and depressing (though there is nothing wrong with this is general), and I'm not sure he followed it completely, whereas usually he is a very close listener.
Set 100 years in the future in a country where most have very little and the Royals are locked away in Buckingham Palace, sickly Prince Alfie finds himself having to step up when his mother, the Queen is taken off to the Tower of London, deemed a Rebel.
There were a few too many elements conflicting for me - a bit of a Secret Garden vibe with the sickly Alfie and another character, the dystopia (actually, very well created, but an incredibly dark world for a typical Walliams reader to be thrust into!!), and the sci-fi element of a 'beast', a griffin, in Buckingham Palace. All with the sinister machinations of a 'power behind the throne' character running the show - and some twists that children will be shocked at and possibly upset by.
As an adult, I didn't particularly enjoy this, but listening as someone who needs to be aware of children's tastes and trends, I can't see this making waves as Walliams' comic efforts have done. While Alfie of course becomes a braver hero than he starts out as, it's a genre (or mix of) that is better suited to the adolescent who can deal with the more mature themes more comfortably. There is a lot here that will puzzle and put off.
I suppose we had a taste of this in The Ice Monster, with a Victorian orphan character, but there is no outright lift of an end, and I don't think I laughed or smiled whilst listening. I did like the cast of actors brought in to voice the characters, not leaving Walliams to take on each role (he narrates). And yes, Raj makes a guest appearance though within the plot, it wasn't as much fun to 'spot' him as it usually is.
I didn't like the Audible version very much, the music used as bookends to chapters was annoying, a little 80s computer-sounding, and I think I'd have preferred to read an illustrated paper copy. I did find myself tuning out a few times, which I try very hard not to do.
While I applaud an author for broadening their range, I just didn't really like this one. While I could read Billionaire Boy or Boy in the Dress again and again, this one isn't likely to be repeated on our school runs.
I'm sure the usual age group are going to be reading this in their droves, but I would recommend an older age range of 10-13 to this title. With warnings of sad/violent scenes and dark/disturbing themes to parents.
With thanks to Nudge Books for providing a sample Audible copy.
2.5 stars.
By 'confused' I mean that readers may wonder if they are in fact reading Walliams, as well as being a little confused as the story progresses. There is nothing amiss about a writer branching out, sampling new genres and moving outside their comfort zone (comedic writing is clearly a genre Walliams can write almost in his sleep).
But my nearly 9-year-old listened along with me and his assessment was roughly similar to mine upon finishing. He just didn't enjoy it all that much. He found it dark and depressing (though there is nothing wrong with this is general), and I'm not sure he followed it completely, whereas usually he is a very close listener.
Set 100 years in the future in a country where most have very little and the Royals are locked away in Buckingham Palace, sickly Prince Alfie finds himself having to step up when his mother, the Queen is taken off to the Tower of London, deemed a Rebel.
There were a few too many elements conflicting for me - a bit of a Secret Garden vibe with the sickly Alfie and another character, the dystopia (actually, very well created, but an incredibly dark world for a typical Walliams reader to be thrust into!!), and the sci-fi element of a 'beast', a griffin, in Buckingham Palace. All with the sinister machinations of a 'power behind the throne' character running the show - and some twists that children will be shocked at and possibly upset by.
As an adult, I didn't particularly enjoy this, but listening as someone who needs to be aware of children's tastes and trends, I can't see this making waves as Walliams' comic efforts have done. While Alfie of course becomes a braver hero than he starts out as, it's a genre (or mix of) that is better suited to the adolescent who can deal with the more mature themes more comfortably. There is a lot here that will puzzle and put off.
I suppose we had a taste of this in The Ice Monster, with a Victorian orphan character, but there is no outright lift of an end, and I don't think I laughed or smiled whilst listening. I did like the cast of actors brought in to voice the characters, not leaving Walliams to take on each role (he narrates). And yes, Raj makes a guest appearance though within the plot, it wasn't as much fun to 'spot' him as it usually is.
I didn't like the Audible version very much, the music used as bookends to chapters was annoying, a little 80s computer-sounding, and I think I'd have preferred to read an illustrated paper copy. I did find myself tuning out a few times, which I try very hard not to do.
While I applaud an author for broadening their range, I just didn't really like this one. While I could read Billionaire Boy or Boy in the Dress again and again, this one isn't likely to be repeated on our school runs.
I'm sure the usual age group are going to be reading this in their droves, but I would recommend an older age range of 10-13 to this title. With warnings of sad/violent scenes and dark/disturbing themes to parents.
With thanks to Nudge Books for providing a sample Audible copy.