Even though it’s dangerously radioactive, element 126 is indestructible. Or so it seems in Itchcraft, the third instalment in Simon Mayo’s trilogy about a teen-aged element hunter and chemistry aficionado with the peculiar name, Itchingham [Doubleday Childrens, 2014; Guardian bookshop; Amazon UK hardcover; Amazon US kindle]. Written by an award-winning British radio broadcaster, this mystery-thriller continues the action-packed story of our hero, Itch, his younger sister, Chloe, and his cousin and best friend, Jack, as they seek to destroy the last remnants of the newly-discovered and much coveted element 126. The list of characters in this book has expanded as Itch’s potential love interest, Lucy, returns with a bigger role in this story, and Itch’s older brother Gabriel also pops up. As does Nathaniel Flowerdew.
Although the author does hold off until the end of the first chapter before finally allowing Itch to detonate the first in a number of explosions, fans of chemistry-triggered pyrotechnics will not be disappointed. Especially when the teens, their parents and the school’s science club travel to Madrid, where they are quickly swept up in riots sparked by spontaneously exploding euro banknotes.
A darker book than its predecessors, this story has a more serious plot that includes kidnapping, fires and neodymium magnets. Oh, and magic stones. Although the scenarios are sometimes a bit far-fetched, the action is realistic -- as are the consequences. At times, it’s unclear whether all the main characters will survive until the end of the book. (And sadly, not all of them do.)
As always, I particularly enjoyed Itch’s courageous and intelligent female companions; the perceptive Chloe, resourceful Jack and clever Lucy. We also run into the comrades of Shivvi Tan Fook -- an all-female team of scuba divers who could either be up to no good or who might be our teen heroes’ best, or only, hope.
Just as our heroes are maturing, Simon Mayo’s writing is becoming more sophisticated, too. He’s allowing his characters to develop more fully and the pacing of the story provides steadily growing suspense punctuated with moments of deadly peril or humour. Together, these elements create a gripping page-turner that will capture you and keep you enthralled until you’ve finished the very last sentence.
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Read my reviews of book 1 and book 2 in this trilogy.
Watch the trailer for Itchcraft:
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Simon Mayo is an award-winning British radio broadcaster who has worked for BBC Radio since 1981. He currently is the presenter of “Drivetime” on radio 2, which features a book club, and is co-presenter of “Kermode and Mayo’s Film Review” on BBC Radio 5 Live. He lives in London with his wife, two sons and one daughter. Itchcraft is his third novel.
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When she’s not reading a book, GrrlScientist can also be found here: Maniraptora. She’s very active on twitter @GrrlScientist and sometimes lurks on social media: facebook, G+, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.
