School of Doom

Eddie doesn't feel she belongs in her school. Eating wheelie bins can make you stand out. So she gets sent to a school in another realm, where everyone is a monster of some sort and the motto is 'Be the worst'. Finally, Eddie can make friends, except the very existence of the school is in jeopardy and the friends are possibly the only ones who can save the school. 

School of Doom is Sarah Harrison's debut, and it won the Chickenhouse /Times competition. It is such a fun read, with just the right level of yuck and gore as well as humour adults can enjoy too. The characters are all fun and amusing and the reader wants to know all about them, what makes them monsters and how their lives were before they came to the School of Doom.

Eddie is an engaging heroine and whilst the idea of a school of magic is not original, the characters and setting make it pure entertainment. The cover by Isabelle Follath brings the characters to life and there are little chapter heading illustrations too, featuring the school.

School of Doom is not a difficult read but it is quite chunky, so probably suitable for a good Y4 reader (ages 8+) upwards. Hopefully it is all set up for a sequel; a most enjoyable read.

304 pages / Reviewed by Jacqueline Harris, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 9+