Bob vs the Selfie Zombies

A fantastic story of time travel, meeting up with your future self and trying to stop a zombie apocalypse taking place. Apart from all of this, it is a very funny story of children who are having to survive against the school bully (who thinks he is perfect) and who are trying to win a school talent competition.

Forget all you know about time travel fiction – in this world, our eleven year old hero Bob can and does visit his future selves without any paradox being caused. He ends up zapped into the future when future self is in trouble, either with a potential fail at homework or with a plague of selfie zombies – humans with headgear attached to a smile-sensing smart phone, that makes the wearer go round like a gormless angler fish, if gormless angler fish used the appendage above their brow to take selfie after selfie after selfie. Bob finds out about these from his latest trip, twenty years into his future, and also is told he must go back, surprisingly win a school talent contest, and/or otherwise prevent his school nemesis from inventing said angler fish attachment. Still, at least, knowing younger self is the only way to save civilisation, older self is going to wrap Bob Jr in cotton wool and protect him until he reverts to our current time in order for him to do the mission safely, right?

Of course not, they're both going to wade through zombies en route to buying some bananas.

Yes, there is a narrative reason for the peril, but you could also say drama in our time would have sufficed as well for the arc of the book. Either way I felt the scene that results shows the influences here in the broadest of fashions – adults discussing playground equipment as a means of surviving zombies took me right back to the Cornetto trilogy. Joe Cornish is here in the city-based fantasy, with the emotional core of the book and the genre tropes alike.

So, yes – this has British cinema writ all over it, but it also has British hit cinema writ all over it. This is great, immediate fun, and ignoring the daftness I highlighted the characters are likeable, the way things escalate into bonkers territory with the potential futures is ever inventive, and the whole thing a surprisingly composed and mature read, however rash it manages to get at the same time. It also reads very easily, and at no time does the timey-wimey stuff even begin to get confusing. It's an all-round success, then, and all the better for being one of the more unexpected ones. Four and a half stars.

I rate it 4.25. This is the first of Andy Jone’s book that I have read. The illustration is great which is by Robin Boyden reflecting the theme and age this book is aimed at. Recently I have been reading children’s / middle grade books for some respite from reality and to feel young again. This book seemed to have done the trick for me. It brought up the recent increasing trend of technology and social media and tackling it at young age which is the way to go, they are after all the future of this planet. It has somehow linked the adults in the society to the children and also teaches children at young stage that there are consequences to our every action.

What I’m not sure about is the delivery of Bob’s news to the antagonist… On one hand Bob and his friends tried other not so kind ways to tackle the antagonist’s behaviour and problem that arose from there however on the other hand was it also tarred with slight bullying behaviour. It is a difficult balance I think. I’m also not entirely sure I have closure about Bob’s dad, although I do love the ending! 😬

Overall it is a creative book and I enjoyed it!

Thank you Andy Jones and Piccadilly Press via NetGalley and Readers First for the advanced review copy of this book in exchange for honest feedback.

A fantastic story of time travel with the hero of the story trying to stop the zombie apocalypse from happening. My 10 year old son really enjoyed the book and agreed it was funny and engaging throughout. He loved the characters and that it was sent in school.

We would recommend giving this one a go.

I was lucky enough to take part in a live author event with Andy Jones prior to reading this book so already had an idea what it would be about. I love the idea of being able to time travel and that Bob finds himself in all kinds of interesting situations depending on when the moment of impending time travel chooses to strike!
Can Bob and his friend Malcolm save themselves and in fact the entire world from certain doom? And, more crucially, will their band 'The tentacles of Time' win the all-important competition at school?
Lots of fun and laughter will certainly ensue as you read this.