Grimstink

This exciting adventure story for children delivers thrills and giggles, galore!

Grimstink, son of Grimsrink, is duty-bound to annihilate planet Earth. Rulers of his home planet – Quarl – have made the rather pessimistic assumption that the only way to avoid destruction at the hands of other intelligent life forms, is to destroy all intelligent life forms. To this end, Grimstink travels to Earth by swapping places with Lyra Tenby – a teenager from suburban England.

Grimstink and Layla are baffled by their new surroundings. Layla is thrust into perilous situations featuring violent deathbots, double-crossing warriors, and smurf-like pacifists hell-bent on marrying her. Conversely, Grimstink must tackle the mundane world of Aldi aisles and Subway stores, as he searches for the crystals required to open a gateway and secure Earth’s destruction.

Though the quests of Grimstink and Layla are in direct opposition to one another (obliterate Earth; just get home) readers will find themselves rooting for both. Layla has an impressive, quiet bravery, which chiefly takes the form of making smart, pithy putdowns whenever someone is about to murder her. She’s also very funny. When asked her name, she plumps for new monikers like ‘Badass’, and she has many a witty remark to belittle even the scariest of baddies.

Grimstink is less conventionally likable. Imagine experiencing things like Fanta or cow dung for the first time! Grimstink’s brash, uncompromising approach to exploring his new planet makes him very unpopular with humans – including the police – but what does that matter when you are about to wipe out all of life on Earth?

There is one human, though (Reece Tenby – Layla’s sister) who, despite Grimstink’s mean nature, is determined to extend the hand of friendship. In the end, by showing Grimstink simple human things like sharing food or playing on the swings, a tiny doubt grows in the indomitable alien’s heart.

It is an extremely pacey story, travelling back and forth across the galaxy in only 27 hours, yet it finds times for several exciting fights, dramatic getaway scenes, more than one double cross and even an unlikely romance. The characters are original and each of them delivers laughs in different ways. It is also refreshing to read a new and exciting story that makes no effort to set up a series or introduce sequels… It’s a standalone classic.