I'd seen Dead Fathers Club compared to Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time - a young adult book that's crossed over and ended up appealing more to older, proper adults. This comparison was almost enough to prevent me from reading it as I found Haddon's novel patronising and annoying. However, when I heard the premise of Matt Haig's novel I had to give it a shot... and I'm so glad I did as it knocks The Curious...Dog out of the pound.
Philip Noble is an 11 year old whose father has recently died in a suspicious car crash. When the old man's ghost turns up and informs Philip that his death was actually murder... that Philip's uncle is responsible... and that unless Philip takes revenge, his father will be trapped as a ghost forever... well, fans of Shakespeare's greatest play might get an idea where this story is going.
When Uncle Alan starts putting his moves on Philip's mum... when Philip meets the friendly daughter of Uncle Alan's bumbling business partner (and her over-protective brother)... when two of Philip's schoolmates begin acting suspiciously like they're in Uncle Alan's employ... to be or not to be, anyone?
Given that Hamlet is my favourite play, I loved the parallels, but Haig is smart enough to know his story can't survive on those alone. And there comes a point where the path of Philip Noble's life has to take a different course from the great Dane's... the exciting thing for the reader is wondering when that will be. Philip is such a likable character, we hate to think he'll meet an end as tragic as Hamlet, though I was surprised at how far the author took him. It's fair to say Dead Fathers Club is an engrossing read for young adults and proper adults alike - even those who aren't familiar with the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune - but for anyone who is, it's damned near essential reading. Smart, touching, and very funny too.
More recommended reading over at Comics On The Ration where today I'm reviewing Chew: Taster's Choice from Image Comics.
