Out Of This World by Ali Sparkes

Out Of This World by Ali Sparkes
Buy Out Of This World by Ali Sparkes at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Confident Readers
Reviewer: Gina Garnett
Summary: Tense and absorbing, this fast paced adventure is a great blend of the fantastic and the recognisable.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 267	Date: June 2013
Publisher: Oxford University Press
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 978-0-19-279412-3
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The best thing about being a book reviewer is the sheer variety of reading material you get access to. In the last few weeks alone I’ve been immersed in blasphemous hilarity, paranormal mystery and even the landscapes of deepest darkest Transylvania. This book, however, is the first one I’ve read in ages that dragged me right out the door on an adventure.

Out of This World is the story of Tyrone – bullying victim and recent Metal Mouth. With his mum working on a cruise liner and his guardian aunt more interested in her talk shows, Ty spends his evenings in the local nature reserve with his friend Sam (the park ranger). Following the discovery of a strange glowing rock on his way home one such evening, Ty finds himself in possession of the ability to move things with his mind. After the novelty wears off and he narrowly escapes capture by mysterious agents, he and Sam are forced to go on the run. Thrown together with three other people who suddenly have more in common than they think, ever pursued by the two people in dark suits and apparently stalked by a famous chat show host, they must find out if there’s a reason they have these powers before it’s too late.

This book does a great job of keeping you on the edge of your seat. From the second things start to really happen, they don’t stop until the end. The feeling of bated breath and running against the clock is constant and it makes the book really absorbing. The clue about the big event for the end of the book was maybe given once too often, which makes it kind of easy to guess and some of the science and alien stuff feels a little flimsy and shoe horned in, but these are minor faults that affect nothing of the overall feeling of the book – or the enjoyment you’ll get from it.

The characters are good and deliberately varied. Tyrone is the youngest but despite this he seems to become the de facto leader of the party due to his quick witted creativity. Despite this, he doesn’t lose any of the underdog qualities that make him relatable not only to teenagers but to anyone who’s ever been bullied or brought up on the latch key. Along with him, Bob the war vet, Tania the hairdresser and Darren the drifter form a well-rounded bunch of sudden superheroes and Sam is a good odd one out without being too far removed from the rest of the group because of it.

The implications point towards a sequel and while I do love a good open ending, I’m hoping that we do see more of Tyrone and the others. There’s a quirky sense of humour in Sparkes that makes Out of This World live up to its name. Great stuff and I can’t wait for more!

If his book appeals then you might also like to try:

The Awakening (Darkest Powers 2) by Kelley Armstrong Quillan Games (Pendragon) by D J MacHale

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You can read more book reviews or buy Out Of This World by Ali Sparkes at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Out Of This World by Ali Sparkes at Amazon.com.

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