Max Brailler (text) & Douglas Holgate (illustrator), The Last Kids on Earth and the Monster Dimension (Last Kids on Earth series #9), November 2023, 304 pp., RRP $15.99 (pbk), ISBN 9780008638115
I admit it, I was a little lost when I first picked up The Last Kids on Earth and the Monster Dimension. Monster Dimension is the ninth book in the Last Kids on Earth series, and this is one book that you really need to have read the previous books in the series to follow – it jumps straight into the monsters, zombies and impending end of the world with no recap of what’s happened so far, and just keeps right on running.
Jack and his friends have to stop Thrull, the Destroyer of Worlds, before Thrull can complete the Tower, bring back Rezzoch, and live up to his name by destroying the world, so there’s no time to waste. There’s action, adventure and snarky humour at every turn.
Monster Dimension is strong on the banter between the characters, and Jack’s sardonic 13-year-old narrative voice. It’s equally strong on the quirky settings and characters – the concept of barrelling around the countryside in a mobile mall called the Mallusc had me chuckling.
Reading The Last Kids on Earth feels like watching a video game playing out. The descriptions are fun and vivid, and feel made for animation, so it makes sense that there’s an animated Netflix series based on the books. The book series is a blend of text intercut with graphics that form part of the story, which should appeal to readers who like a bit of visual context.
This is going to be a series for 10-13 year olds who like their online adventures at full pace and packed with monsters of every description.
Reviewed by Emily Clarke
