'This zany school adventure has likeable characters and explores friendship, growing up, and a parent who is fighting their own battles.' The Bookseller
'The author of modern YA classics like A Monster Calls and the Chaos Walking trilogy turns his hand to madcap middle grade fiction with the hilarious story of three hall monitors charged with protecting their school from all manner of zany threats.' Waterstones September’s Best Children’s Books 2024
'I ADORED this book. I don't know how Patrick Ness manages to get so much pathos into a story about a monitor lizard with France on his knee but he really does. It was sweet, kind, adorable and utterly bonkers but in a gigantic warm hug of a way. More please!' Netgalley Reviewer
'Magnificent! I haven't giggled this much since the Wilf (Georgia Pritchett), Bad Guys (Aaron Blabey) or Mort (Rachel Delahaye) series.' Netgalley Reviewer
'Ness uses an anthropomorphic cast to present the sort of issues human children might face at school every day – bullying, intimidation, violence, fat-shaming and insensitivity to disabilities. His combination of splendid silliness, tenderness and poignancy works effectively, so much so that readers will find themselves laughing frequently. Making the whole thing even funnier are Tim Miller’s zany ink drawings. Underestimating a monitor lizard is not to be advised.' Red Reading Hub