The Beast of Buckingham Palace by David Walliams

What worked:

Prince Alfred is an unlikely hero in this dystopian novel. Alfred’s a weak, sickly boy who’s never left Buckingham Palace to see what life is like beyond the fortress walls. He can barely walk across his bedroom without losing his breath, so his transformation later is remarkable, until readers realize what’s happening. Many areas of the castle are off-limits to Alfred, by order of the Lord Protector, but he’s learned a lot about England’s history from the library’s books that he’s been given. The queen calls Alfred “Lionheart”, and his courage and leadership become evident as the situation with the revolutionaries becomes direr.

The template for the plot is familiar, so it’s easy to follow and make predictions. The king is being manipulated by an evil antagonist, and a harmless young boy is forced to become the hero. The antagonist plans to use an ancient spell to unleash tremendous power that will allow him to rule the entire world. He has control over everything, even the royal family, so stopping him may be impossible. The confusing destruction across London becomes clear once the antagonist’s plans are uncovered.

The story includes some unique twists to make things interesting. It’s set in the future after humans have ruined Earth through global warming and abusing its resources. Alfred’s father is the king of England, but the people feel oppressed and rebel against his rule. The book mostly feels like it’s centuries in the past, except the castle guards carry ray guns and robots roam the halls. One robot spies on everyone inside Buckingham Palace, and another inept robot slowly loses its eight limbs, adding some humor to the events. Alfred receives funny, very unexpected assistance late in the book, but it’s critical to saving England.

What didn’t work as well:

As mentioned earlier, the structure of the plot is very familiar, but that makes the overall book seem less creative. The dialogue between characters is rather basic, and the action scenes include sound effects that might remind readers of the old Batman television show. “Bang! Bash! Bonk!” The dialogue and sound effects aren’t a big problem, but they feel out of place when compared to the overall, imaginative story.

The Final Verdict:

Boy versus Beast. Prince Alfred’s quest to save the kingdom will entertain most middle-grade readers with its elements from the past, present, and future. Alfred’s character remains unassuming throughout, but his determination to save his parents is inspiring. I recommend you give it a shot.