Annaliese Byrd, Losing the plot, Walker Books Australia, March 2024, 144 pp., RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781760656409
Basil and Terry are neighbours who have nothing in common, until Basil is asked to help Terry with his reading…every Saturday! Both of them are dreading it, when during their first session, Gretel pops out of The Complete Fairytales of the Brothers Grimm and tells them plot holes are forming in the fairytale world and she needs their help.
Thus begins a dangerous ride into a land of trolls, wicked stepmothers and ‘stereotypical, unempowered princesses’, where they have to use their wits and talents to solve the plot hole dilemma and not get killed in the process. This book is one fast, furious fractured fairytale, packed with characters we know and love but not quite as we’ve seen them before…plus we get to find out what they do when they’re not actually being in a fairytale.
The chapters are short, which is perfect for readers moving from junior fiction to something more substantial, with lots of charm and humour and perilous plot twists.
Reviewed by Deborah Abela
