The Matilda Effect by Ellie Irving (Children's, 9 years +, 10E/10E)

 July 2017, Corgi Children's, 320 pages, Paperback, Review copy 

Summary from Puffin Books

Matilda loves science and inventing. Her heroes are Marie Curie, Leonardo da Vinci and Thomas Edison, and one day she wants to be a famous inventor herself. So when she doesn’t win the school science fair, she’s devastated – especially as the judges didn’t believe she'd come up with her entry on her own. Because she's a girl.

When Matilda shares her woes with her Grandma Joss, she's astonished to learn her grandma was once a scientist herself – an astrophysicist, who discovered her very own planet. Trouble is, Grandma Joss was also overlooked – her boss, Professor Smocks, stole her discovery for himself. And he's about to be presented with a Nobel Prize.

Matilda concocts a plan. They'll crash the award ceremony and tell everyone the truth! So begins a race against time - and against Matilda's strict mum and dad! - on a journey through Paris, Hamburg and Stockholm, and on which they encounter a famous film star, a circus, and a wanted diamond thief...

Nayu's thoughts 

Okay, I'm a bit biased because I love Ellie's books and chat to her by email, but this book is seriously great! It sounds far fetched but everything that takes place makes sense as it happens, there is a lot of drama (but not overly melodramatic), there are plenty of brainwaves and clever schemes, some elements of mega high danger but it all ends well. 

Matilda learns a lot about herself and her grandmother so by the end of the adventure I think she is glad that she initially lost on the science competitton that started it all. I loved how it emphasiszes people who are thought of as elderly are people too, they have hopes and dreams even if they are in a care home, which is important to know. After reading this you won't look at care homes in the same way-what the residents did for Matilda was phenomenal. 

Then there was the port incident which equally made me laugh and hold my breath, and many more events where I thought Matilda couldn't survive but she did. She is spunky, she tries her best, sometimes mucks up which makes her more relatable, and when her confidence wavers her family (especially her grandmother) helps boost her up. 

On no account should readers ever do what Matilda did, as their lives aren't written by an author even though it can feel that way, but theres a lot of humour and I didn't want the book to end. I guess that's the Matilda effect working on me! Definitely one for the reread shelf. 

Find out more on Ellie's website. 

Suggested read

Be sure to read Ellie's other books including Fleeced! by Ellie Irving (Children's, 9 years +, 10/10E)