Sam Enthoven - Crawlers Book Review

Mr Ripley's Book Review

They will do anything for their queen and soon, so will you..... 

The book cover is a one off intrigue; keeping you guessing as to what's inside the pages of this crazy book. So take some time; have a peruse at the book cover and you will be drawn into the story. 

This is a new take on Sam's writing - he has stepped up the horror factor to great affect after living off instant noodles and freshly cooked spider's legs! The plot is based around a living horror, which begins on a school trip to the Barbican, as the fire alarm starts the story unfolds. It draws you into a weird and scary place - a place that you would never expect to find yourself in. The pages start to turn faster then a demon infested runaway train at this point.

The depiction of the Crawlers is a nastiness to behold and is delivered well on its way to hell. The strange spider-like creatures swarm through the building attacking people and turning them into vicious killers; something is crawling down my spine but the book review must be continued. 

Lots of questions are asked of all the children, which makes for a real sense of drama and tension, as trust and their possibilities for escape are (at the best of times) quite bleak! In essence this story is a fast paced 'seat-of-your-pants-ride' of terrifying Zombies and a sinister alien queen, who wants to take over the world, I believe she might have a lot in common with the author!  

This book gets four out of five, as I found the start a little bit too slow - perhaps a little too much dialogue between the children at the start. This slowed the pace down, especially in comparison with the much faster paced action that followed.

It's always a pleasure to read and love a book by a great author. Sam is a great ambassador within the world of children's books. I'm looking forward to the next new book in April - bring it on Sam.

Book Published by Corgi Books 1 April 2010

Book Synopsis......

Ben is on a school trip. So is Jasmine. What they don't know is that not everybody in the theatre is there to watch the play and, in fact, they'll never get to see it ...There is panic at the Barbican when the fire alarms start wailing, but the strangely silent theatre staff, trap them inside the building rather than letting them out to safety. Ben, Jasmine and their classmates soon discover that there's no fire - what's happening is much weirder, and much scarier. Strange spider-like creatures swarm through the building attacking people and turning them into vicious killers, and the kids have to run for their lives. But barricaded in an office, with these creatures waiting outside for them, the children realise they're stuck. Will they ever get out? And, more importantly can they trust each other?

About the author

For the last ten years Sam Enthoven has been working as a part-time bookseller, living largely on a diet of instant noodles and parsnips while honing his skills as a writer of thrillers for young people. He is passionately - possibly 'certifiably' - committed to the ideal of books that make kids want to read; if you like The Black Tattoo, you should see what he writes now he can afford something decent to eat once in a while.

Other books by Sam

The Black Tattoo (2006)

Tim:Defender of the Earth (2008)

Crawlers (2010)

Seed (2010)