EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP BY MARYAM MASTER AND ILLUSTRATED BY ASTRED HICKS

Right from the very first page the reader is told the monumental news that 12.5-year-old Ana is dying. She has Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and is telling her story via a school assignment. Ana has a life she is happy with. She lives with her mum and step-dad Patrick through the week and then from Friday to Sunday with her dad and his wife Wanda, her five kids, two dogs and crazy cat. Ana’s best friend is Al and at the beginning of the book, he is the only one, apart from her family, that knows she is ill. The only other major blip on her landscape is Alyssa Anderson or “Butt Breath”. Alyssa has been non-stop bullying Ana since she moved to the school in Year 5, and at the moment, is much more of a worry than dying.

Ana’s family decide it’s time to let the school know she is starting treatment and will be away some days. Ana’s biggest hope for letting everyone know, even if it will be a tad awkward, is that Alyssa will finally stop bullying her. The thing is it gets creepy worse. Alyssa decides they are best friends and keeps on taking selfies that Ana finds hard to refuse after the years of not having a voice. Behind Ana’s back however, Alyssa starts another more incredibly hurtful campaign of nastiness. So nasty, it confounds, confuses and totally mystifies Ana and Al. Ana is filled with an anger that screams for revenge. So, in the following weeks she and Al hatch a plot to stop Alyssa’s never ending, pretty much earth shattering, assault.

Can Ana and Al find a way to stop Alyssa’s ongoing attacks? Is there any way Ana can manage this and continue with her life with what time she has left?

Maryam Master is a screen writer and playwright who has been creating shows for younger audiences for years. She also adapted three of David Walliams’ book for the stage. This is her first novel and it is a wild ride through the thoughts and life of a young girl with a serious problem. The way the book is creatively composed and heavily illustrated by the wonderful images of Astred Hicks makes it part diary, part life/death guide. Ana’s story is told with humour and pathos and is truly a great read.

For Ages: 8-12 years

Number of Pages: 216

Published: July 2021

Themes: Death, bullying and friendship,

Rating: 4.5/5