| Author: Ross Welford Book Review By: Nirvi Thakkar Grade: 5 |
The Kid Who Came from Space
I read the book, The Kid Who Came from Space, by Ross Welford during the sweaty, hot summers. The book has 79 chapters. The characters are: Tamara aka Tammy Tait, her twin brother Ethan Tait, Gran (Ethan and Tammy’s Grandma), Melanie Tait (the twins’ mother), Adam Tait (the twins’ father), Iggy aka Ignatius Fox-Templeton (Ethan’s friend), Hellyann (the weird looking, hairy, and stinky alien from Anthalla). The story is based in Kielder, Northumberland.
A 12-year-old girl, Tammy, goes missing. Only Ethan believes that wherever she is, she is safe. It is a secret he should keep, or else he will not be able to see Tammy again. Ethan and his friend Iggy, with his pet Suzy (hen), get Tammy back on earth with the help of Hellyann.
I would recommend this book as it is full of mystery, friendship, loss, relationship between the family, and it has many lessons to learn. My favourite character is Ethan, as he fought with everybody just for his sister, who was kidnapped and taken to Anthalla. Anthalla is a planet that is 950,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 km away from Earth. He was ready to do anything for his sister. He never gave up, and he also taught me that one must try and not stop trying till one succeeds. If I would have been a part of this book, I would not have allowed Iggy to announce about Hellyann in the Stargazer (Adam’s Pub). I also did not understand that, when Ethan, Iggy, and Hellyann reached Anthalla, Iggy performed a Death Ray there, and when a Death Ray is performed, sunlight must be present. But Anthalla, the planet, does not belong to the Milky Way galaxy, so how did it have a Sun?
The part I enjoyed the most was the Death Ray he performed in Anthalla using Vodka, his glasses, and a star like the Sun. It was a funny and attention-grabbing part. I also enjoyed when Tammy and Ethan had a conversation about doing your best. Ethan was wrapping a present. He had crumpled the gift paper and tied the bow very shabbily, and Tammy explained to him that this is not his best, he can do better. She knew this because she was his twin, his other half. In the end, he realizes how far he can go to do his best.
I liked this book as it makes us think about a world other than Earth. It also makes us think about other planets, galaxies, and travelling into other galaxies. It is a remarkable story for everyone who loves adventures. It is the brightest star for children’s books. I thoroughly had fun reading this book. The story was gripping when I reached reading Anthalla and the Earth Zone. I experienced sadness too when Hellyann died. It was heart-warming towards the end when Tammy met her family. When I read this book, I experienced all the emotions. It is like a roller coaster ride of emotions.
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Other reviews from the 2025 contest:
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
Bookasura: Adventures of Bala and the Book Eating Monster
The Mystery of the Strange Messages
