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If the Invader Comes: A Super Readable WW2 Historical Adventure About Bravery and Spies
With the spectre of a Nazi invasion looming over Britain, three children are forced into an unlikely allyship in this gripping wartime tale from multi-award-winning author Tom Palmer.
June 1940 – after the devastating defeat of the British forces at Dunkirk, the terrifying prospect of a Nazi invasion of Britain seems ever more likely. In these dark days, the parents of Bobble, Cadan and Cilla are involved in vital but top-secret war work, and they need their children’s help to keep their activities hidden. The unlikely trio initially struggle to trust one another, but when Cadan spots a German E-boat during a river patrol and Cilla discovers a crashed Stuka, they realise the menace is closer than they thought.
With danger lurking at every turn, can they band together to protect their home and each other?
June 1940 – after the devastating defeat of the British forces at Dunkirk, the terrifying prospect of a Nazi invasion of Britain seems ever more likely. In these dark days, the parents of Bobble, Cadan and Cilla are involved in vital but top-secret war work, and they need their children’s help to keep their activities hidden. The unlikely trio initially struggle to trust one another, but when Cadan spots a German E-boat during a river patrol and Cilla discovers a crashed Stuka, they realise the menace is closer than they thought.
With danger lurking at every turn, can they band together to protect their home and each other?
- GenresHistorical
208 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 7, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Tom Palmer's historical fiction for children is always a pleasure to read and we are so lucky to have his stories to shed light and bring focus on so many interesting points in time in such an engaging and accessible way. I will definitely will be following up with the rest of the books in this Allies trilogy, as I massively enjoyed the first installment. It's very impressive how many things Palmer has managed to fit so successfully in just over 200 pages.
As three children strike an unlikely friendship, we witness the events just after Dunkirk unfold in a small Cornish village, as Brits prepare for a potential German invasion. Palmer captures brilliantly the sense of time, place and the feeling of this small, coastal community where the line between friends and foes, allies and traitors is a thin one, easily crossed. The characters are all well fleshed out and read distinctly and realistically. The story touches upon themes of resilience, bravery, friendship, family relationships and young carers, shell shock/ptsd/war trauma, parental loss and bereavement, gender inequality, class systems, bullying, war ethics and the conditions of the human nature during times of war, so it allows for so much reflection and conversation, it would make a brilliant book club choice. The writing is immersive and evocative, the plot is tight, flows seamless and the action makes this book so easy to read, I finished it in one sitting. Palmer does not shy away from the gore, but I think it's done incredibly well and as a result becomes integral to the storytelling. A lot of research, time and thought/consideration has been put into this story and I think this really shines through.
If you are familiar with Palmer's work, you will not be disappointed, this is easily one of my favourites of his. If you've read the premise and you think it's interesting, again, I can guarantee you will like it way more than you anticipate. If you are a reluctant reader, this is incredibly accessible but not in a condescending way, I felt very respected as a reader. Very much looking forward to the next book!
Thank you to Tom Palmer, Barrington Stoke and NetGalley for my review copy, all opinions are my own.
As three children strike an unlikely friendship, we witness the events just after Dunkirk unfold in a small Cornish village, as Brits prepare for a potential German invasion. Palmer captures brilliantly the sense of time, place and the feeling of this small, coastal community where the line between friends and foes, allies and traitors is a thin one, easily crossed. The characters are all well fleshed out and read distinctly and realistically. The story touches upon themes of resilience, bravery, friendship, family relationships and young carers, shell shock/ptsd/war trauma, parental loss and bereavement, gender inequality, class systems, bullying, war ethics and the conditions of the human nature during times of war, so it allows for so much reflection and conversation, it would make a brilliant book club choice. The writing is immersive and evocative, the plot is tight, flows seamless and the action makes this book so easy to read, I finished it in one sitting. Palmer does not shy away from the gore, but I think it's done incredibly well and as a result becomes integral to the storytelling. A lot of research, time and thought/consideration has been put into this story and I think this really shines through.
If you are familiar with Palmer's work, you will not be disappointed, this is easily one of my favourites of his. If you've read the premise and you think it's interesting, again, I can guarantee you will like it way more than you anticipate. If you are a reluctant reader, this is incredibly accessible but not in a condescending way, I felt very respected as a reader. Very much looking forward to the next book!
Thank you to Tom Palmer, Barrington Stoke and NetGalley for my review copy, all opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Starting roughly with the Dunkirk evacuations, this dramatic wartime story has three children forming a kind of gang. Well, seeing as one is British, one is part-American and the other a quarter-French, they ought to be thought of as allies, rather than a gang. But there's an issue, in that Bobble's father is still traumatised by WWI, and her mother and the dads of her friends are involved in high subterfuge for the war effort – ie they never show up for what every ordinary person is doing, ie they get thought of as malingerers, yellow-bellies or worse. Thrusting three children into wartime is bad enough, but to have them take over their parents' responsibilities? That's just asking for drama…
And drama is what we get here, even if spread over more pages than the usual Barrington Stoke novel (what's more, this is the first in a trilogy). It's all very suitable drama, too, although the last dose of it seemed a bit Boy's Own, Saturday-morning-kids-cinema for its own good. Until then I thought this very reasonable – the maturity of the trio, Bobble, Cadan and Cilla, is well-played, the wartime milieu seemingly researched as you'd hope, and the tension the kids are forced to endure finely balanced.
The copious launch events the author is doing for this in Cornwall testify to it definitely being grounded in the area, and never once mention this is a book from a dyslexia-friendly publisher. That's because it's perfectly suited for all readers – this engages very nicely, and I would certainly hope to see the rest of the set (presumably giving the other kids the lead focus in turn). It is a slight case of Chekhov's gun – to have a kid called Bobble and never explain why she's called that – but for the edifying action these pages offer I think a healthy four stars are called for.
And drama is what we get here, even if spread over more pages than the usual Barrington Stoke novel (what's more, this is the first in a trilogy). It's all very suitable drama, too, although the last dose of it seemed a bit Boy's Own, Saturday-morning-kids-cinema for its own good. Until then I thought this very reasonable – the maturity of the trio, Bobble, Cadan and Cilla, is well-played, the wartime milieu seemingly researched as you'd hope, and the tension the kids are forced to endure finely balanced.
The copious launch events the author is doing for this in Cornwall testify to it definitely being grounded in the area, and never once mention this is a book from a dyslexia-friendly publisher. That's because it's perfectly suited for all readers – this engages very nicely, and I would certainly hope to see the rest of the set (presumably giving the other kids the lead focus in turn). It is a slight case of Chekhov's gun – to have a kid called Bobble and never explain why she's called that – but for the edifying action these pages offer I think a healthy four stars are called for.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Tom Palmer has a unique talent for writing incredibly immersive settings and characters into his relatively short historical novels. His stories capture you from the very first page and plunge you straight into the action. If The Invader Comes is no exception.
What I love about Tom's work is how, as a reader, you feel as if you've had the privilege of being including in a small but exhilarating chapter of his characters' lives, but the events of the story stay with you long after you've finished the last page. The characters are fleshed out very quickly and we see the real challenges and sometimes horrors faced by these young people that mirror real experiences and details from the First and Second World Wars. Even though these books are for children and young people, Tom never talks down to his readers and this is very much appreciated by younger readers and makes the stories just as enjoyable for older and adult readers as well.
If The Invader Comes finds three children - Bobble, Priscilla and Cadan - in Cornwall in the days just after the small boat rescues of Dunkirk. All three have a parent involved in covert activities to prepare for invasion that draw scrutiny and rumour from the community around them. We live with these three brilliant characters as they navigate their own feelings towards the conflict, their personal histories, their dreams for the future and their desires to help their families through these incredibly tense times.
I will be buying several copies of this book for our school library shelves and recommending it for our reluctant reader groups as well, due to the highly engaging story and the book's accessible format.
I can't wait to read the rest of the Allies series!
I was delighted to receive an e-ARC of If The Invader Comes by Tom Palmer. Many, many thanks to Tom Palmer, Barrington Stoke and Netgalley for this.
What I love about Tom's work is how, as a reader, you feel as if you've had the privilege of being including in a small but exhilarating chapter of his characters' lives, but the events of the story stay with you long after you've finished the last page. The characters are fleshed out very quickly and we see the real challenges and sometimes horrors faced by these young people that mirror real experiences and details from the First and Second World Wars. Even though these books are for children and young people, Tom never talks down to his readers and this is very much appreciated by younger readers and makes the stories just as enjoyable for older and adult readers as well.
If The Invader Comes finds three children - Bobble, Priscilla and Cadan - in Cornwall in the days just after the small boat rescues of Dunkirk. All three have a parent involved in covert activities to prepare for invasion that draw scrutiny and rumour from the community around them. We live with these three brilliant characters as they navigate their own feelings towards the conflict, their personal histories, their dreams for the future and their desires to help their families through these incredibly tense times.
I will be buying several copies of this book for our school library shelves and recommending it for our reluctant reader groups as well, due to the highly engaging story and the book's accessible format.
I can't wait to read the rest of the Allies series!
I was delighted to receive an e-ARC of If The Invader Comes by Tom Palmer. Many, many thanks to Tom Palmer, Barrington Stoke and Netgalley for this.
March 21, 2026
Historical adventure about bravery and spies it certainly was! This book was so entertaining and an absolute fantastic read for younger and older readers alike.
It captured the atmosphere and the essence of wartime just right. The fear, the make do and mend attitude and the drive to do your bit. The book delicately touches upon a few hard hitting themes but in such a well written way.
It was a time when bombs were falling, people were dying and men were coming back from war broken. But it was a time of hope, staying strong in your community and treasuring friendships and those certainly burnt bright here! We follow our plucky young trio, Cilla, Cadan and Bobble as the navigate wartime and their friendships.
It was exciting, engaging and an overall great read from start to end.
Thank you to the author and publisher for this book on NetGalley in return for my honest thoughts and review.
It captured the atmosphere and the essence of wartime just right. The fear, the make do and mend attitude and the drive to do your bit. The book delicately touches upon a few hard hitting themes but in such a well written way.
It was a time when bombs were falling, people were dying and men were coming back from war broken. But it was a time of hope, staying strong in your community and treasuring friendships and those certainly burnt bright here! We follow our plucky young trio, Cilla, Cadan and Bobble as the navigate wartime and their friendships.
It was exciting, engaging and an overall great read from start to end.
Thank you to the author and publisher for this book on NetGalley in return for my honest thoughts and review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you so much to Barrington Stoke and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.
Bobble lives in a small town at the Cornwall beach, as the Germans start taking over France they fear it won’t be long until they invade. Bobbles mum is secretly working with Caden and Cilla’s dad’s on something they are unsure of. But as the Germans get closer the three new best friends must work together to help protect their town from invasion.
This was pretty intense and scary honestly, all in a good way though. The children had to do so many terrifying things in such a short space of time and it was insane. I was so scared for them multiple times. They were always so brave, calm and collected, they were carefully even when it was incredibly scary.
This was such a unique WW2 book, set in a quaint little town and I really enjoyed reading it. It had three really great protagonists who all worked together and became a perfect united team, they all grew so much and did many things they never dreamed they’d be capable of.
I highly recommend this book it’s so detailed, it’s got so much happening, it’s educational, it’s tense and a bit scary. But overall it’s a story of friendship during an incredibly scary and hard time and I loved it so much.
Bobble lives in a small town at the Cornwall beach, as the Germans start taking over France they fear it won’t be long until they invade. Bobbles mum is secretly working with Caden and Cilla’s dad’s on something they are unsure of. But as the Germans get closer the three new best friends must work together to help protect their town from invasion.
This was pretty intense and scary honestly, all in a good way though. The children had to do so many terrifying things in such a short space of time and it was insane. I was so scared for them multiple times. They were always so brave, calm and collected, they were carefully even when it was incredibly scary.
This was such a unique WW2 book, set in a quaint little town and I really enjoyed reading it. It had three really great protagonists who all worked together and became a perfect united team, they all grew so much and did many things they never dreamed they’d be capable of.
I highly recommend this book it’s so detailed, it’s got so much happening, it’s educational, it’s tense and a bit scary. But overall it’s a story of friendship during an incredibly scary and hard time and I loved it so much.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Oh, my; if I could rate this one with more than 5 stars, I would!
Three children living off the coast of Cornwall during WW2 learn to help their country, and families, in ways they never expected. Included are fascinating details about the sinking of the ship RMS Lancastria , a maritime disaster which I had never heard about or read of.
A must-read for any history lover, that should be in all classrooms!
*I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*
Three children living off the coast of Cornwall during WW2 learn to help their country, and families, in ways they never expected. Included are fascinating details about the sinking of the ship RMS Lancastria , a maritime disaster which I had never heard about or read of.
A must-read for any history lover, that should be in all classrooms!
*I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*
April 14, 2026
I’m a massive Tom Palmer fan and his latest book does not disappoint! I loved this story of 3 unlikely friends, each with different passions and them working together to be allies. Set during WW2 in Cornwall, I really enjoyed reading all about the war efforts and how the children are sometimes just as much heroes as the parents!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Tom Palmer’s war fiction is second to none and If the Invader Comes is full of action and adventure yes but also sensitively tackles the effects of war on families and friends in a close knit community. My favourite character is Miss Priscilla, a young girl with big ambitions (to become a fighter pilot) that are seemingly unattainable and are not really fitting for someone of her social standing, and yet she is determined and perseveres.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
looking forward to the rest of the series
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews