Synopsis: Nicholas’s life changes the day he accidentally falls under an ancient curse. From that moment, everyone around him encounters disasters and bizarre accidents, so much so, that Nicholas soon finds himself very much on his own. Then he meets Fiona, who seems prepared to risk being his friend. At last, Nicholas dares to wonder whether his luck is about to change.

Review: Right from the very first page of this story, where Nicholas’s adventure begins, Andrew Norris keeps the reader hooked through narrative that is both comic and touching. He has the ability to make a fantastical notion such as an ancient curse completely believable, and the real story is how Nicholas attempts to live a normal life while mayhem and chaos occur around him.

Some of the funniest moments are the descriptions of the accidents that befall the teachers that Nicholas encounters in his new school (he has been asked to leave two schools since the curse began). These involve a range of hazards including insects, sulphuric acid and falling Bibles! Nicholas’s friendship with Fiona and his subsequent meeting with her dad, make him reassess his situation and begin to realise that luck can be as much about your outlook on life as about the situations you find yourself in.

Norris’s experience as a teacher help him to vividly bring to life the school environment and the people- head teachers, teachers, support staff and pupils - who work within it. Readers will identify easily with the characters within the book and the message of having a positive out look on life and controlling feelings of frustration and anger make for interesting discussions within the classroom.

2006-11-02