Rating: 4/5
This book was terrifically funny but pretty creepy! The evil lady in it (of whom I won’t give the name) seemed so real she would often come to life and I would be scared to put my letters under my pillow! Quite sad at points but very happy at others, this book was a brilliant novel and I can’t wait to read Walliams’ next ones.
Short twelve-year-old Alfie was an ordinary little boy who led an ordinary life. His father had been confined to a wheelchair after having coal pulled up in his lungs in his young job as a miner. Alfie had to look after him by himself, for his mother died when he was only a little baby.
One day, when Alfie was out at school, the school dentist, Mr Erstwhile, had ‘apparently stabbed himself with his own equipment’, and a new, rather creepy looking woman, Mr Root, had taken his place. She would have probably broken the World Record of the creepiest look and the shiniest teeth, for everybody was dazzled by them.
Alfie hadn’t been to the dentist for six years, for when he had had tooth ache, Mr Erstwhile had indeed used all his force to pull out the tooth causing it. But was it the causing tooth? Oh no. He had pulled out the wrong one. And when Alfie realised this, he started hiding stacks of dentist letters up on the pantry shelf, where no one could find them.
When Miss Root saw his rotten teeth, she immediately order to pull them out. She did so, leaving Alfie in great, great pain, more pain than he had ever felt. But I cannot show any spoilers. Only a few more freakish hints before you read the book yourself..
..There was somebody replacing innocent kids’ teeth with revolting stuff..
..An interfering old bag tries to send Alfie to the dentist again and again..
..And finally, something happens to Dad I must not tell of..
..Read the book to find out more..