My book review of 'The Day the Screens Went Blank' by Danny Wallace

by Danny Wallace
Recommended age: 8+

Stella and her family are all ready to start the day just like normal. They grab their phones and their screens but soon discover they're not working. The power's still on, but all the technology has stopped. And it's not just their house, it seems like the world is in chaos.

They soon realise the implications of the crisis as they confront more and more things that are no longer possible without the internet and computers. And then they remember grandma, living alone on the other side of the country. They can't even ring her to check she's OK because her number is logged on the phone that is no longer working.

Stella's parents decide that they must all drive from Cornwall to Suffolk to check that grandma is OK. So begins a road trip which is full of fun and scrapes. It means coping without sat nav, traffic lights or petrol pumps. 

This is a funny, fast-paced adventure with an underlying interesting and thought-provoking message. What would we do if technology suddenly failed us?!

Aimed at readers aged eight upwards, but everyone will love this book!! Fantastic.

Date of this review: February 2021
Book publication date: 18th March 2021