London - A Few Years From Now
When the Russian Drone Mobs attacked London, the Plasma Cannons - the ones on all the tallest roofs and along the river on the ghost grey ships - would make them explode...
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I am required to make it clear at the beginning of my reviews that I received this book for free from Rachel's Random Resources. I have not been paid for doing this and all opinions are my own. I am Bookshop.org affiliated, which means I earn a very small amount of money if you buy from there using my direct link. Although I include purchase links to Amazon, I am not affiliated with them. I include them to make it easy for you to navigate to them if you so wish.
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The Blurb
A child sees things she’s sure don’t exist. The adults call it trauma. They’re both wrong.
On a remote Yorkshire headland known as Dreadnought, seven-year-old Cass Delaval begins to glimpse figures and fragments tied to a past that refuses to stay buried.
As the world edges toward conflict, Cass is drawn into a family mystery stretching back to the Second World War: a missing boy, a hidden weapon, and a family secret.
Because whatever has lain dormant on Dreadnought goes deep into our past … and it isn’t finished with us yet.
Dreadnought is a story of loyalty and hope, where the courage of one small girl may be our last defence.
My Review
Generally speaking, I rarely pick up a book which looks eerie. However, as we are now in spooky season, I thought I would give this one a try.
The book is set in the not-too-distant future where, largely, the world is at war. The family who feature in the novel have escaped London and moved to the old family home on Dreadnought, a promontory of land in North Yorkshire which belongs to the family.
Dreadnought is almost a character in its own right, as the entire narrative of the story revolves around it and is central to the plot. It is a place of secrets, whispers and the supernatural.
The book is a multi-generational story, and we get to know each of the characters relatively well as individual characters narrate the different chapters. Although the narrative mostly takes place in the near future, the novel also dips in and out of the past seamlessly.
The character voices are quite distinct, and at no point did I feel confused as to who I was reading. There are three generations living on Dreadnought. Cass is a child who can see and hear things that the adults cannot. Her mother, Olivia, wants to protect her at all costs, and James, who is Olivia's father, seems to know things that he is not revealing. However, we also hear from other characters. Tom is a local farmer who tries to help Cass. There are also characters from the past who help to piece together the secrets and story of Dreadnought's past.
It was hugely atmospheric and eerie. The author did a great job of conjuring up the spooky feeling surrounding Dreadnought; from the rolling fog to the walled-up caves. There were times that it made me shiver.
Although this is a genre that I don't usually read, I was captivated by this book and found I was keen to get back to it when I had to set it aside from time to time.
This is the perfect book to read in the run-up to Halloween. It was scary, but not to a point that I couldn't continue with it. It is definitely spooky and has a dark and brooding feel throughout. I recommend this to lovers of the genre.
Book Details
ISBN: 978 1036959265
Publisher: Monster Books
Formats: e-book, audio and paperback
No. of Pages: 320 (paperback)
Purchase Links
About the Author
Robin Bennett is an author and entrepreneur who has written over twenty-five books for children. He has also written books on the swashbuckling world of business: How to Make a Good Living Running Your Own Business, Kicking the Property Ladder and Start up Smart, all published by Harriman House.
In 2024 Cracking was shortlisted for a Week Junior Book Award and Sunday Times Sports Book of the Year for Children. His YA novel 'XII' was shortlised for a British Book Award in 2023 and his very popular Monster Max Series is a Book Trust pick and won Coventry Inspiration Book Awards in 2022. Picus the Thief, won the Writer's News Indie Published Book of the Year Award in 2012.
When Robin grew up he thought he wanted to be a cavalry officer until everyone else realised that putting him in charge of a tank was a very bad idea. He then became an assistant gravedigger in London. After that he had a career frantically starting businesses (everything from dog-sitting to cigars, tuition to translation)... until finally settling down to write improbable stories to keep his children from killing each other on long car journeys.
When not writing or starting companies, Robin plays most sports. Poorly.
You can also find Robin at:
(book and media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)
(all opinions are my own)
(Bookshop.org affiliated)
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