The Day No One Woke Up

by Polly Ho-Yen

An out-of-this-world middle-grade adventure about finding friendship in the most unlikely of places. From the bestselling and Waterstones Children’s Book Prize shortlisted author of BOY IN THE TOWER. Perfect for fans of Stranger Things and authors, such as Ross Welford and Lisa Thompson. Something strange is happening in Ana’s city . . . she’s the only one awake. Confused and curious, Ana sets off to explore, bumping into the one other person who’s been able to rouse themselves – her ex–best friend, Tio. On a mission to discover what’s happening, Ana and Tio journey through the city looking for clues, their friendship mending with every step. When a mysterious creature suddenly materialises in front of them, Ana realises they’ve found the answer they’ve been looking for. But one question still Why them?Praise for How I Saved the World in a Week:‘This tense, haunting zombie thriller perfectly balances terrifying peril with emotional depth.’ – Guardian ‘A fabulous page-turner’ – Abi Elphinstone, author of Sky Song‘A compelling and timely survivalist journey’ – Sita Brahmachari, author of Where the River Runs Gold‘A brave and powerful story’ – Jasbinder Bilan, author of Asha & the Spirit BirdPraise for Boy in the ‘An unusual and very impressive debut’ – Fiona Noble, The Bookseller

Genres: Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Childrens, Audiobook, Fiction

237 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 21, 2022

About the author

Polly Ho-Yen was born in Northampton and brought up in Buckinghamshire. She studied English at Birmingham University before working in publishing for several years.

Her first novel, Boy in the Tower, published in July 2014 by Random House Children's Publishers, was nominated for the Carnegie Medal and shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Award and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize. Her second novel Where Monsters Lie was published in 2016 and her third novel, Fly Me Home, was published in 2017. Both of these novels were also nominated for the Carnegie Medal.

She now writes full-time and lives in Bristol with her husband.

Reviews

[Leo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good middle grade story but didn't evoke any big feelings in me but a quick and pleasant read

[V.S. Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Day No One Woke Up was mildly interesting, but ultimately, just not enough. The plot was not clever enough. The setting was not imaginative enough. The book was just not ambitious enough.
One thing I hate in books is when you know how the entire story will pan out after a few chapters. Had there been some mystery or twists in this story, it could have been great, but sadly the author decided to include none of that.

[Barbara Barrett · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read with my 11 year old grandson. Sadly, although the premise for the book is great, the story proceeds at a tortuous pace and it was a struggle to care about any of the characters or the outcome. Very heavy on feelings but completely lacking in excitement . Shame.

[Ms Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This seemed like a big metaphor to encourage bravery in young people - bravery to try new things and build confidence. When we shy away from our passions and are weighed down by doubt, it can feel like something lingering in the shadows waiting to bring you down. The writing was fairly shallow and it could have been explored in more depth but it would suit younger readers.

8-10 Years

[Katy Slessor · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story was quite good and the characters likeable. Good themes of family and friendships. It was a bit slow. and the format interjected with case holder notes didn't really work - those bits were just boring when they should have been an exciting peek into another world. The ending was a bit disappointing too. My son never asked me to stop reading though and he is pretty picky!

[Remidee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good for young kids, maybe 10 to 12.The title was the best part about this book. Maybe it could have been better if there was more happening pertaining to the plot rather than random things being said. The word count was wasted, in my opinion.

[Chrissi · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent children’s book. Polly Ho-Yen is a terrific writer for children. Very impressed.

[Phoebe Knowles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok I liked it but the ending annoyed me. I think rolo is the best character as it just ties the two worlds together

[maleeha.x · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quite a quick read. It was ok but I was waiting for a climax in the middle and I felt the end was a little rushed. Perfect for children though.

[Dane Divine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute little book. Nice aliens.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Natali · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the idea of this book but I don't think it was well executed. The end felt a little rushed and some of the creepy factor could have been played out a bit more. My 10 year-old daughter really liked it though. It creeped her out sufficiently enough to go sleep with her sister a few nights but it was a delightful thrill for her. She's glad she read it so it was worth the Kindle purchase!

[Elsa Leuty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this, the descriptions of the aliens really tickled me.