The BFG

It starts on a cloudy, sleepless night. Sophie is snatched from her orphanage by a giant — but not by any giant. The Big Friendly Giant.

Together they have narrow escapes from gruesome human-eating giants and venture to the Queen of England to stop the madness. Sophie is in for the most whizzpopping journey ever.

What I liked

• The humour. Soda that makes the bubbles go down instead of up — ridiculous and I love it.
• The dreams the BFG showed Sophie were hilarious.
• The story is a proper adventure. You actually care what happens to Sophie and the BFG.

What I didn’t like

• The giants are described as quite scary and ugly, which might bother younger readers.
• The illustrations are okay but I have seen better art in newer books — that is why art scored lower for me.
• It is a classic so some bits feel old-fashioned, but it still works.

Verdict

Really funny and worth reading. Story and comedy are both 5 paws for me. Good from about 8+ — the scary giant descriptions are the main thing to watch for.