I was concerned when I read the first couple of chapters because there were many, many references to popular culture: Harry Potter, Spider-Man, X-men, Wikipedia, iPhones. When the worst happens, we follow Elsa as she goes on a long treasure hunt that her Granny sets for her, which teaches her much about herself, and others around her to whom she’s not given much thought. They even have a secret language that they can use together, though generally for mischievous purposes. They spend much of their time in the Land of Almost Awake, a fairy tale world which it turns out is much closer to home than Elsa originally thought. The first chapter really sets the tone as we find them in a police station after Granny has been arrested for “throwing monkey sh#t at a police officer” whilst she was supposed to be looking after Elsa.Įlsa and Granny share a very special bond. Elsa struggles with being ‘different’ (namely, it seems: able to read very well, having a very impressive vocabulary, a quick (but annoying) wit, swears a lot, and also a desire to dress up Spider-Man outfits on mufti day). The story opens with a hilarious scene introducing the two main characters: Elsa, a seven-going-on-seventy-year-old girl, and her seventy-going-on-seven-year-old Granny. A philosophical adventure with pretty much just the right amount of everything. It’s a wordy and possibly unappealing title, but this was a book that delighted, surprised, amused and saddened me in equal measure - sometimes all at once.
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