'The Midnight Gang' by David Walliams - Book Review
- redwaybooks
- Mar 27, 2018
- 2 min read
I'm sure I'm not alone in automatically being a bit sceptical when you hear of a 'celeb' turning their hand at writing children's fiction. The truth of the matter is writing stories for children is much harder than you think. Have you ever tried to lie to a child? They can see through it instantly, they bore easily and often their imaginations are just so much more vibrant than ours are. There are so many books that therefore fall short. This is not one of them.
I've never read any of the David Walliams books - my own child is still a tot and when I was teaching I taught the younger age ranges so I was keen to see what he has to offer. I genuinely thought this book was brilliant. It took me no time at all to read because I just could not put it down. I don't know why I was surprised by this because he's such a fantastic screenwriter anyway.
If follows the experience of Tom, a boy admitted onto the children's ward at Lord Funt Hospital, and his discovery that at midnight the other children escape the ward to have incredible adventures as part of 'The Midnight Gang'.
The characters are so vivid in this book. As an adult having watched the comedy of David Walliams on screen time and time again I could picture him acting it out - they are real caricatures and highly animated. Alongside the humour that this brings, the tale is also incredibly heartwarming and speaks of friendship in its variety of forms, touches on the difficulties faced by those facing long term or terminal illnesses, hope, aspiration and kindness. The last few chapters made me cry...but that might be because I'm an over-emotional pregnant lady!
The illustrations too are full of charm as you would expect from the likes of Tony Ross. It is easy to compare the duo to that of Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake, it definitely has the same sort of look and feel. Obviously comparing any children's writer to Roald Dahl would raise eyebrows, but I do think that David Walliams (at least in this book) has got it. The humour, the bumbling cruel adults and the children that outsmart them, the magic, the larger-than-life characters and the simplicity of the language making it so readable and so enjoyable.
If you have yet to read any of his books...read this. Perfection.
Currently available in our Online Party Shop in paperback for £3.49 until 12th April 2018.
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