Billy lives with his mum but right from the start is is very clear he is not living a normal life. Billy calls his mum by her name - Sylvia and he has learned to be very careful of her changing moods. She keeps him moving from place to place and it is now two years since Billy has seen his dad, Steve. Constantly having to change schools means there is never time to make a friend. His mother also regularly takes him on adventures which were fun when he was young but now he finds confusing and at times even quite scary and she drills into him five important survival rules:
1. Always be prepared - have everything you need ready and with you at all times
2. Pay attention - keep constant observations of your surroundings
3. Trust no one - you may only be able to rely on yourself
4. Master your fears - through practice, planning and taking action
5. Never stop trying - you must never give up!
These might be the rules but rules are made to be broken aren't they. In his latest new school Billy finds a friend - a boy called Anwar so that might mean rule number three needs to change.
Sylvia is becoming more and more strange. She goes out every night leaving Billy alone in their flat. She takes huge boxes with her and returns each time in the early hours of the morning. She is preparing for something. Then one day she takes Billy to a remote place - to a deserted building. She has been stockpiling food and other supplies. But why? Sylvia has also been teaching Billy all sorts of strange survival techniques which come from a very old book "How to Survive".
"The book has a musty odour, not horrible, but the sort of smell you notice immediately. A previous owner underlined words here and there. A few of the page corners have been bent over in neat triangles."
After a big crisis Billy is sent to live with his dad and he makes another unexpected friend. Thank goodness this friend is very prepared to break her promises.
Publisher blurb: Billy’s mum isn’t like other mums. All she wants is to teach him the Rules of Survival – how to make fire, build shelter and find food. She likes to test Billy on the rules until one day she goes too far, and Billy is sent to live with a dad he barely knows. Then the world changes forever as people begin to be infected with a mysterious virus that turns their skin grey. As chaos breaks out, Billy has to flee the city. Suddenly he realises that this is what his mum was preparing him for – not just to save his family, but to save the whole world.
How I saved the World in a Week has 375 pages but I read it in just one day because it is such a perfect page turner. I have given this book four stars but I nearly gave five - I just have a few very tiny niggles about the final scenes (I can't explain these because they would be spoilers). As one reviewer commented their are a few aspects of this story which might stretch credibility for adult reader. Having said that I am sure Primary school aged readers will simply want to gobble up this action packed story of survival.
This book does touch on issues of mental health in a parent - other books on this topic are The Illustrated Mum by Jacqueline Wilson; October October by Katya Balen; Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor; and The Secrets we Keep by Nova Weetman.
The publisher and other reviewers suggest this book for ages 8+ but I am going to say 10+ would be a better fit.
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