.png)
In a country beset by civil war, New London defends itself behind a giant wall. Inside the city, children are forced to work from an early age, except for the lucky few who train to be leaders in the re-purposed Palace of Westminster. 12-year-old orphaned Pax is brilliant at recycling old tech. He enjoys working on the verti-farms and just wants a bit of peace and quiet. But when that is taken away from him, his only hope is to pass a near-impossible exam and join the other students in Scholastic Parliament. There he’ll make new friends and new enemies. He’ll get tested like never before. And he’ll discover that not everything is quite what it seems under the mayor’s harsh leadership.
I'm delighted to be taking part in the Ultimate Blog Tour for Pax and the Missing Head today. Many thanks to David Barker, Tiny Tree Books and The WriteReads for inviting me and for sending me a copy of the book.
I really enjoyed David Barker's adult post-apocalyptic book, Blue Gold a few years ago and so was intrigued to read his middle grade dystopian novel. Pax and the Missing Head is certainly a bleak look at the future but there is an excellent balance between the dark themes explored and the lighter, more humorous or heartwarming moments.
Pax is one of the seedlings; a parentless child who lives in the workhouse where he is employed on a verti-farm. He tries to make the most of his days but it's clearly not an easy life, with high demands and harsh punishments meted out on those adjudged to step out of line. David Barker understands that stories for children need to immediately grasp their attention and so although he describes this oppressive, unfair world in vivid detail, he doesn't resort to pages of exposition. It does mean that there are unanswered questions about the ongoing civil war and the enormous wall which now encircles New London but there needs to be revelations held back in series such as this and I'm looking forward to discovering more as it progresses.
Most of the storyline here takes place in the Scholastic Parliament and David Barker cleverly makes good use of the Palace of Westminster setting, with the former corridors of power being the scene of several dramatic moments. I thought the social media chatline used by the pupils being called Hansard was an amusing touch too, although, of course, more likely to be appreciated by adults reading the book! Comparisons with other boarding school stories, particularly Harry Potter are inevitable but while Pax and the Missing Head utilises many of the familiar elements – four rival teams pitted against one another to earn points, various friendship issues, a school bully and lots of sneaking around in the dark – it doesn't feel derivative and is never less than a fresh and exciting mystery with real heart.
As Pax tries to negotiate his new surroundings he is ever conscious that the call-and-response mantra, "New London is no place for losers." "We will win." ensures the price for his team coming last in the Parliamentary Poll will almost certainly be particularly devastating for him. The ever-watchful supercomputer. Alderman who may be friend or foe, and the use of high tech punishments adds to the escalating sense of tension throughout and there's a gripping race against time as Pax and his friends have to figure out the truth of the missing Head while still trying to help their team, the Judges climb off the bottom place in the Parliamentary Poll. The brutally intense denouement to the book is packed with twists and turns and is truly nail-biting.
Despite being an action-packed read, the characterisation isn't lacking and although Pax is undoubtedly the best developed character, his friends and enemies are interesting and believable creations too. A word here for his robot friends, Bee-Bop and Roacher who are sure to become favourites with young readers. The ending to Pax and the Missing Head is excellent, with its satisfying conclusion still leaving room for more – most notably the truth about the terrifying sounding Pinchers. This is a thoroughly entertaining and thought-provoking rollercoaster of a read; I will be recommending it to the children I work with and I'm looking forward to discovering what troubles lie in store for Pax as the London Falling trilogy progresses.
Pax and the Missing Head is published by Tiny Tree Books. It can be purchased from bookshop.org, Hive, Waterstones, Amazon or your favourite independent bookshop.
Follow The WriteReads on Tour to read more reviews of Pax and the Missing Head.
About the Author
Comments
Post a Comment