How I Saved The World In A Week - Polly Ho-Yen

Billy's life is different to everybody else's in school: he and his mum never spend too long in one place before moving on, he calls her by her first name (Sylvia) and he spends all his time with her learning about survival skills.  At the beginning of the book, Sylvia's behaviour becomes more and more erratic as she desperately tries to teach Billy everything she knows, insisting that he always live by the 5 rules of survival. 

However, when one of their survival sessions goes wrong, Billy is sent to  live with the father he hasn't seen for the past two years, whilst Sylvia is hospitalised for psychiatric treatment.  It is during his time here that he sees a man outside his bedroom window fall and die, but then later sees the same man walking down the street again. Confused, he confides in Angharad, his Dad's girlfriend's daughter and together they begin to investigate; only to discover that a mysterious virus is infecting people and turning them into zombie-like creatures who seem to infect other people around them.  Billy, his friend Anwar and Angharad call them 'Greys' but find it difficult to prove they exist to Billy's dad who believes that he is still under his mum's influence.  However, a trip out changes everything and, in an instant, the world changes for ever as they Greys begin to take over and it's up to Billy to finally put his survival skills to the test and save everyone. 

I have always been a fan of Polly's books so was thrilled to hear that she had a new book coming out ... and even more thrilled when Simon & Schuster sent me a proof copy (huge thanks to them for that).  I have to say that the book didn't disappoint.

Billy has never really had friends. Their constant moving around and his mum's increasing paranoia seems to alienate him from everyone else and this is quickly evident at the beginning of the book. It is clear that the teachers and children at school see him as different from the reaction when his mum arrives to pick him up in the middle of the day, and why ... to practise survival skills, of course.  Billy is loyal to his mum but he's lonely, so when he moves in with his dad and meets Anwar, the development of their friendship is good to see.  His relationship with Angharad gets off to a very rocky start as the pair clearly don't want to be in each other's company, but their parents' perseverance and a common cause quickly brings them together.  Their perseverance and determination to prove themselves right is what shines through.  

This is a sci-fi story in disguise! A modern day setting (London and Bristol), in a world the readers can relate to, and the virus element will definitely resonate with readers in the current climate (although, thankfully, COVID doesn't currently seem to lead to a world of zombie-esque creatures!).  It's only when the virus takes hold that a more sci-fi feeling becomes apparent which leads to an gripping end to the book (I couldn't put it down and read late into the night in order to find out what was going to happen!). 

This is a wonderful adventure story that combines survival skills with family, hope and never giving up.  It will have you gripped and will teach you that it is important to always be prepared!

How I Saved The World In A Week is due for release on the 8th July. If I would were you, I would pre-order it today to give you time to get your survival kit ready!