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June Chapter book of the month - Wild Boy by Rob Lloyd Jones - Apply for free copy

23 replies

RachelMumsnet · 03/06/2013 16:34

We have fifty copies of Rob Lloyd Jones' Wild Boy to giveaway this month.

Wild boy has been covered in hair since birth and is condemned to life in a travelling freak show. When accused of murder, he sets off on the run with feisty acrobat Clarissa. They find themselves in the smoggy underworld of victorian London, determined to find the true identity of the killer. Perfect for readers of 9+ this is a pacy, action packed mystery full of twists and turns until the very end. Apply for a free copy and come back to this thread to let us know what you and your dcs think.

OP posts:
Runoutofideas · 11/06/2013 14:18

I'm looking forward to receiving our copy. DD1 will be delighted - she only said yesterday that she never wins anything!

cornflakegirl · 11/06/2013 17:53

Just seen the email saying we're getting a copy. DS will be really pleased - he wanted to read it having read the first chapter on here, but our library don't have it. It sounds like a really exciting story!

shizk · 11/06/2013 19:35

I also won a copy, first time I have entered. I'm looking forward to getting a read of it myself x

cornflakegirl · 17/06/2013 10:33

Our copy arrived this weekend - thank you. DH was shocked and appalled that I'd bought a hardback book until I told him it was from Mumsnet. Guess that's why the library don't have it yet! DS seems to be enjoying it so far - will post a proper verdict when he has finished.

archfiend · 20/06/2013 08:29

Our copy arrived this weekend as well. DD currently about 1/3 of the way through and really enjoying it so far. She is quite caught up in the story and says she would recommend it to her friends. Will post again when she has finished the book.

cornflakegirl · 20/06/2013 10:26

DS has finished the book. He says:

It was a bit better than Charlie and the Chocolate Factory because the bits with guns and swords made it more exciting. My favourite character is Clarissa because she is ruthless. I liked the bit where Wild Boy swears loudly* when he discovers all the bits of him that hurt, and the bit where Sir Oswald said "Poppycock" before he fell in the river. I want to read the next book and find out about another detective mission. I would give the book 5.6 out of 5.

  • There are no actual swear words in the book - it's just reported.

I read the book too, and thought it was very good. The plot is exciting and there is some lovely description and interesting detail. There's a strong homage to Sherlock Holmes (that the author acknowledges as the inspiration), which DS wouldn't have picked up on. Reading as an adult, the identity of the killer is quite heavily clued, but it's probably appropriate for the age group.

lorka · 21/06/2013 23:20

Thanks for the brilliant book. My son is keeping this to read on holiday but he read the back of the book and is really excited to start. It sounds really different and a gripping read for my 10 year old son. I will post again when he has finished it.
Thanks again.

aristocat · 22/06/2013 14:58

We have also received this book, it has been started .... will report back soon Smile

nuru · 24/06/2013 19:39

Have received the book. Dd1 is enjoying it but finding it a little too scary to read at bedtime, so taking her a little longer to get through it... Will get her to post her comments when she has finished.

dinkystinky · 28/06/2013 11:07

Our copy has arrived too - DS1 is enjoying it but like Nuru's DD finding it abit too scary for bedtimes so we're trying to read snippets during the day. Its a really interesting story and well written so far.

MNHQ
RachelMumsnet · 28/06/2013 16:57

@cornflakegirl

DS has finished the book. He says:

It was a bit better than Charlie and the Chocolate Factory because the bits with guns and swords made it more exciting. My favourite character is Clarissa because she is ruthless. I liked the bit where Wild Boy swears loudly* when he discovers all the bits of him that hurt, and the bit where Sir Oswald said "Poppycock" before he fell in the river. I want to read the next book and find out about another detective mission. I would give the book 5.6 out of 5.

  • There are no actual swear words in the book - it's just reported.

I read the book too, and thought it was very good. The plot is exciting and there is some lovely description and interesting detail. There's a strong homage to Sherlock Holmes (that the author acknowledges as the inspiration), which DS wouldn't have picked up on. Reading as an adult, the identity of the killer is quite heavily clued, but it's probably appropriate for the age group.

Please do thank your Ds for his brilliant review. We've passed this on to the publisher and author.

OP posts:
cornflakegirl · 30/06/2013 20:42

Thanks Rachel, I will.

insanityscratching · 30/06/2013 20:53

Dd sat and read this book over the course of two days. She says that she thinks the cover doesn't really make you want to pick the book from a shelf in a library or book shop as she thought it was pretty dull and old fashioned but once she got past that she thought it was a great story and different to anything she had read before. She thought it was exciting and the descriptions really made the plot come to life. She is looking forward to the next book and I have been made to promise that I will buy it for her when it's released. She's passed her copy onto her school so that others can read it too.
Thank you for our copy MN.

shizk · 02/07/2013 10:48

Hi all, i must confess that my children are not of an age where this book would be aimed at, but i have read it myself and enjoyed it, im not a fan of this era but it was a good story and a beliveable plot, loved the print on the pages, gave the book a good feel when you were reading it, it was a brilliant touch. My 18 year old has taken it for a read, so will post her comment and we know a little boy who will enjoy this so we will pass it on
Shirley

Runoutofideas · 04/07/2013 12:22

My dd found this book too scary to continue with. I think I'll put it away for a few years for her. She is nearly 9, but quite young for her age and is not quite ready for this yet.

aristocat · 08/07/2013 12:40

I have read this and enjoyed it very much, sadly my DD started it but did not continue to read it.

Uzma01 · 08/07/2013 22:49

I've been reading this myself & have enjoyed it. My two children are too young to read this book although my son was happy to look at it and take in that lovely new book smell!

I've got a couple of almost teenage nieces who love to read, so will pass along.

It's a well written book, interesting plot and I look forward to seeing more from this author.

archfiend · 10/07/2013 16:55

DD has finished the book and I am finally getting round to updating! She really enjoyed the book and says her favourite bit is when Wild Boy and Clarissa see the machine for the first time because its really exciting and the writer kept the suspense until near the end of the book.

She would recommend the book to her friends who like mysteries (and gory bits!) and she says it is one of the best books she has read this year.

She also liked the cover and the way that it is drawn without giving away too many details about Wild Boy's face as it was interesting to find that out during the book.

Thanks again for the book, it's been a big hit as you can see!

TenToWine · 23/07/2013 12:43

DD 9 just finished this (took her a bit longer than normal). She enjoyed it a lot. I will get her to add detail. In the middle of reading it, she went on a school trip to Kensington Palace and read about a boy called Wild Boy who had been a courtier there and had been found in a forest covered in hair. She was intrigued and had a good discussion with the librarian there about it.

kwal · 30/08/2013 01:59

Just managed to finish reading Wild Boy and was surprised how much I enjoyed it considering the age it was aimed at. A clever bit of history education with a really catchy storyline.

luckestone · 23/09/2013 14:49

Thank you for our copy of wild boy, I have been reading to my DS age 8. He has really been enjoying it however we did have a good long break from it because he was worried it was getting a bit scary. Great story, brilliant characters, and a overall good book. Ideal for a sunny afternoon, snuggled up in the garden, but not a great idea just before bed.

pinkfiss · 02/10/2013 13:24

Just finished reading this book, took me all my time to get it back from my partner who has also read it. Not normally the sort of book i read but i really enjoyed it. Wild boy is about a young boy in the Victorian period who is hairy all over who spent his life as an outcast and ends up living and working as a freak show. Great story. Thanks for the copy

Reebs123 · 01/06/2015 23:02

A really great read. Wildboy gripped me from the start and kept my attention throughout. A boy covered in hair is abandoned and destined for a difficult life at the hands of others until one day he decides to escape the circus where he is the freak act. Unfortunately he is blamed for a murder and is on the run with Clarissa, a fellow acrobat from the circus. It's up to them to piece together the clues and find the real murderer. Brilliant characters, setting and descriptions.

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