LAUGHTER IS THE BEST ENDING BY MARYAM MASTER, ILLUSTRATED BYASTRID HICKS, PUBLISHED BY PAN MACMILLAN

Laughter is the Best Ending starts with a funeral. Our narrator is there, in the church, having an uncontrollable fit of the giggles. “Inappropriate” she hears you say? Well yes, but what follows is a highly entertaining explanation.

Zee is perfectly happy with her life. She loves watching documentaries in her room and reading, especially Oscar Wilde’s Picture of Dorian Gray. Her mother, however, has different ideas, and this Summer Zee has been enrolled at Camp Youth Fusion. Her mother promises it’s not awful or involves singing around a camp fire. Zee will make new friends and anyway it had a 4.5 rating on Google – what more could a kid ask for? Plenty thinks Zee, who has reluctantly agreed to try it out.

The camp is set in bushland with a wire fence surround the grounds – for blocking escapee campers, and bizarrely, a cheery Elvis character and an ex-barista with a man bun. Things aren’t looking good. It is run by Madame Augustus who dresses like she works in a corporate office and who exudes an iron will.

The first night is kicked off with a slightly inappropriate game of Murder in the Dark and they must form groups of four. Zee pairs with the beautiful Tiffanee, (yes two ees) and then twins Jonah and Moses. They are determined to solve the murder but stop in their tracks when Madame Augustus calls an emergency meeting. One of the kids has gone missing and all of them must stay around their chalets until the staff find him. Zee decides they will find young Kwame first and after collecting supplies, the super sleuths set off.

Maryam Master has given readers a great mystery. The story is told through the voice of Zee who loves big words, takes no nonsense and has a sensible head on her shoulders. Jonah and Moses are complete opposites and a comedy act of their own. Tiff, an influencer with 30,000 followers is suffering from social media withdrawal but is handy in an emergency. Dame Viv is a delight and teaches the children about life with humour and kindness. This engaging story is beautifully enhanced by the illustrations of Astrid Hicks. Characters come alive and image jokes and different fonts all create a fast paced, un-put-downable story. The themes of friendship, not judging people by their appearance, working together and finally death are all here for readers to enjoy. Readers who liked Shower Land by Nat Amoore or the Prometheus High series by Stuart Wilson will love this book.

For Ages: 10 – 14 years

Number of Pages: 272

Published: August 2024 Pan Macmillan

Themes: Friendship, dying, working together, being non-judgemental

Purchase here: https://www.panmacmillan.com.au/9781761560132/