Written by Grace Bon
My Doctor is the 10th Doctor. I have watched all the episodes, read the books, even had dreams where I was David Tennant’s (sassy and trustworthy) companion. I even cried when it was time for him to regenerate. And I am not a crier. So, you can only imagine my horror when Matt Smith was the new Doctor. I mean, really? Who is this kid with the Ginger companion? I mean, he was just so… weird. And trying too hard to channel David.
But then he started coming into his own. And I just started getting used to his quirkiness. And then I started liking it. And the Doctor the writers turned Matt into was actually pretty good. The episodes started getting a little darker and just really, really good. And then I just fell in love with the show all over again.
So when I got the chance to read and review a Doctor Who book, based off the Matt Smith Doctor, I jumped at the chance.
I read the entire book in one sitting. Didn’t take too long. It’s not exactly high literature, after all. But it just sucks you in. Especially if you have watched the new Doctor Who series and especially the current Doctor, Matt Smith. The book captures his essence perfectly. You can practically envision it, as if you were watching an episode on the television.
This book is set in the 1800s or so. There is a plague, kind of like the Black Plague and people in this small town he visits are all dying. But are they? Because, if they were actually dead, wouldn’t they still be in their graves?
Dun Dun Dunnnnnn.
He has no official companion, but he makes do with a plucky young lady, who helps him solve this mystery, and they figure out the Cybermen’s schemes. Why are they there and why are they hiding in the shadows instead of conquering the earth?
The Cybermen aren’t the scariest Doctor Who enemies (for me, that distinction goes to the Weeping Angels) but they’re described perfectly in the book. And the book actually gets a little gruesome, especially if you have an active imagination. I wouldn’t think that this book would be for anyone younger than 11 or 12, even if the book’s reading level could be for kids as young as 6. I definitely wouldn’t let my 6-year-old read it yet.
I love sci-fi so I’m a little biased, plus I do enjoy Matt Smith’s portrayal of The Doctor, so this book was right up my alley. If I’d never watched a Doctor Who episode, I think I’d still enjoy the book. There are a couple of holes in the plot where if I wasn’t a Doctor Who fan I might be turned off. (Okay, maybe not “holes,” but the plot’s a little thin in places.) But as a Whovian, I absolutely loved it.
