A Million Tiny Missiles All At Once

By Author / Illustrator

Lucas Maxwell

Genre

Family & Home

Age range(s)

14+

Publisher

Chicken House

ISBN

9781917171397

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

09-04-2026

Synopsis

Being a teen's a tough gig, but what if one gig could save your family? Elias's brain is a swamp of fears and bad things. His once-loving brother Bo has become a stranger, and his parents are at breaking point. When Bo falls in with dangerous people, Elias decides he's the only one who can bring his family back together. But what begins as a simple pizza-night plan quickly spirals into chaos. Can Elias find a way to reach the people he loves the most before it's too late?

The stunning debut novel from Lucas Maxwell, winner of the Times/Chicken House Competition 2024. Set in wintry Nova Scotia, Canada and inspired by the author's childhood, this special novel explores themes of family addiction and growing up neurodivergent.

Perfect for fans of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece and Orbiting Jupiter. For readers aged 13 and up.

Praise for A Million Tiny Missiles All At Once: 'Gorgeous and sensitive, incredibly thoughtful to its characters who are full of life and colour and vivid detail ... a truly special debut.' MARGARET MCDONALD '... has a subtle power. Honest, engaging and warm, Elias's story will stay with you long after you've turned the final page.' SARAH CROSSAN 'The most gorgeously written and heartfelt debut in years. Breaks your heart into a million tiny pieces all at once and then puts it back together again - a marvel.' PIERS TORDAY. 'Emotional gut punch, beautiful setting, and HD real characters' NATHANIEL LESSORE. 'Very occasionally I read a book which I know is going to stay with me for a very long time ... I loved it very much.' SIMON JAMES GREEN. 'I was gripped from the very first line. Wonderful.' LISA THOMPSON. 'I read it in pretty much one sitting ... flawless' JASBINDER BILAN. 'Unimaginably good ... a work of utter genius' TIA FISHER 'I highly recommend this lovely read' SUSIN NIELSEN.

Download Extract

Reviews

Jenny

A Million Tiny Missiles All at Once is an incredibly powerful and moving debut novel by Lucas Maxwell, with hearfelt, emotionally engaging themes of addiction, bullying and of autistic Elias’ s experiences as he copes with changing family dynamics and surviving in school whilst trying to save his family with the plan of a top prize pizza night.

The book is based on the author's own background, so reading this feels laden with empathy and intrigue. The story is set in a small town in a bitter Canadian winter; a bleak harsh physical struggle takes place in Elias's daily life that echoes his daily, internal emotional struggles. Elias battles the biting frost on his hands and feet as he makes the arduous journeys to school, whilst his mind copes with an onslaught of overwhelming worries and intrusive thoughts.

Elias's older brother is taking some wrong turns in life lately; becoming involved with the wrong crowd. The family is fracturing under the constant friction and Elias feels increasingly misunderstood by his serious Sheriff father. Obsessed with witty one-liner jokes, Elias hyperfocuses and pins his hopes on winning the school talent show and a family pizza night to reunite them all.

The story combines gritty, dark scenes alongside warmth and moments of tenderness. The push and pull of family life is brilliantly narrated in Elias's voice as he navigates how others view him and how he sees himself. His is a story of determination, of a refusal to give in and of finding your voice and your own path.

It is also a testament to navigating and understanding the complexities of family life and its nuances as an autistic teen. In a story that grips the attention and heart of the reader, the representation and celebration of that experience was just wonderful to read.

240 pages / Reviewed by Jenny Caddick, teacher

Beverley

Elias is 14, neurodivergent, and is struggling with his failing relationship with his elder brother, Bo. Once close, the two boys have drifted apart as Bo gets into trouble at school and falls in with the wrong people. He ends up owing money to Relic, a violent and dangerous man, and Elias is at a loss to know how to help Bo. Elias decides to enter the schools' April Cool Day talent show; he's determined to win by telling jokes. The prize is a family dinner at the recently opened Pizza Hut, and Elias is sure that if he can get his whole family together there, all their problems will be solved. If only life were so simple!

Set in 1990's Canada, and against the backdrop of a bitterly cold winter, A Million Tiny Missiles All At Once is a beautifully written and deeply moving debut novel. The author's descriptions of the harsh weather are so evocative, the reader can almost feel the snow and the driving wind. The elements seem to have their own personalities, and cleverly mirror the turmoil going on in Elias's overloaded brain.

Elias is a wonderful character, honest and loyal. He loves his brother and his parents deeply and just wants everything at home to be all right. When his policeman father leaves home due to a promotion at work, the whole family feel his absence deeply.

The book is a wonderful mix of the serious and the humorous, and has several laugh-out-loud moments when Elias speaks his mind without thinking. We are given a brilliant insight into Elias's thought processes, his lingering anxiety is beautifully described and explained in such a way as the younger reader can understand and empathise with the character. Elias's jokes provide a lighter thread which runs throughout the novel. Bo is a complex boy who gets a little lost and ventures down a dangerous path, but we see him try to get his life back on track with the support of his mother.

The author builds up the tension as the story progresses and leads the reader to an emotional and satisfying conclusion. I loved this book and feel that the characters will live with me for a very long time. I am sure that it is destined to become a modern classic, and would make a brilliant class reader and would provoke some interesting class discussions. Highly recommended.

240 pages / Reviewed by Beverley Somerset, school librarian