How I Saved the World in a Week by Polly Ho Yen, reviewed by Rosa

I loved How I Saved the World in a Week. The way she described the ‘greys’ sent a shoulder shaking chill down my spine. Even the cover feels suspenseful, tense, and mysterious. It is also handy because dotted throughout the tale there are little survival tips and skills. This perfectly written story had me hooked in the first few chapters. 

Are you on the edge of your seat and shaking with excitement yet? Well, if you’re not then the storyline will get you biting your nails.

It is about a boy who gets taken out of school to do activities with his mum but when something goes wrong, he goes to live with Steve, his stepdad. Suddenly, these creatures start appearing, and together, he and his two friends save the world in a week.

It was a touching and tear coaxing triumph that made me want to laugh and cry, I dearly hope that Polly Ho-Yen will make a follow up version soon.

About the book

A brilliantly imagined new 8+ adventure about resilience, family and hope. From the bestselling and Waterstones Children’s Book Prize shortlisted author of BOY IN THE TOWER. Perfect for fans of Ross Welford, Lisa Thompson and Onjali Rauf.

Rule number one: Always be prepared . . .

Billy’s mum isn’t like other mums. All she wants is to teach him the Rules of Survival – how to make fire, build shelter and find food . She likes to test Billy on the rules until one day she goes too far, and Billy is sent to live with a dad he barely knows.

Then the world changes forever as people begin to be infected with a mysterious virusthat turns their skin grey. As chaos breaks out, Billy has to flee the city. Suddenly he realises that this is what his mum was preparing him for – not just to save his family, but to save the whole world.