Awesome

I liked Robin and the funny voices . I will tell my cousin because I think she would like it and I rated it 5 star because it's funny

17 people found this helpful

Marvellous hospital-set story of friendship & fun

Any additional comments?

Walliams is not just Dahl's shadow, he has his own style and voice...

I've read each one of David Walliams' novels for children, and this is now probably in my top three (after 'Boy in the Dress' and 'Billionaire Boy').

I've read them all on paper, but also now with my son in the car as audiobooks, and each time, Walliams himself acts as able and amusing narrator, with friends assisting with a few roles, bringing the story to life very well, his experience as actor and comedian keeping him very easy to listen to and laugh with.

Walliams sets his tale (almost) entirely within the confines of a hospital, one with shortages and cut-backs, and the children's equivalent of Nurse Ratched from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

It feels a little like Matilda, which I'm sure the author would be happy to hear, and is just full of heart. He concentrates more on story in this and his last book, and lets his natural humour take the reigns, ditching the over-the-top jokes that made Ratburger and Awful Auntie more forced.

Tom is our protagonist, brought disoriented into Lord Funt Hospital after a nasty bang to the head by a cricket ball at his boarding school. After meeting a naive doctor and s a scary-looking porter, he ends up on the children's ward with a collection of long-term residents, some in plaster, some very ill.

But he soon notices there is something strange going on. The children sneak out from the ward at night, past the controlling and Trunchbull-like Matron. Just where are they going? What are they doing? And what is the... Midnight Gang??

One of the simplest stories Walliams has come up with, it's also one of the more effective. A simple us-vs-them story, much like Matilda, it encompasses some powerful themes.

Tom is the best-characterised of the children, the others in the ward are fairly sketchily drawn, apart from Sally (whose poor health means she is stuck in bed when the others sneak out). Tom hates his school and misses the parents he feels don't love him or want him around. None of the children in fact seem to have family to visit, hence their bonding together as a unit.

They do find a father-figure of sorts though, one who incites prejudice of his own and has his own sad backstory, and gives the reader something to think about on judging by appearances.

The Midnight Gang itself is lovely, an inspired if not altogether unique idea, but it is what it means that is really wonderful - at the heart of the book is the idea of doing things for others, being there for your friends, a message embedded nicely by Walliams throughout the story.

In case anyone is wondering about my old favourite Raj, yes, even Raj has got himself into the story as usual, as a patient who is decidedly not happy with the hospital food! Though the dinner lady Tootsie, could be straight out of a Walliams TV sketch, most amusing scenes.

And the author also manages to get a little dig aimed at Britain's Got Talent in there, mentioning TV talent shows. And a very funny sequence ending up with a Twit-like balloon scene (can't wait to see THAT one aired on Christmas Day, David?!).

It is one of Walliams' longer books, but I think readers will find the short chapter, plentiful Ross illustrations and lots of font changes and text-sparse pages mean it races by. It would also make a good class read in KS2 and KS3 schools, especially with its themes and messages. There's a truly ghastly Headteacher to hate as well as the Matron, and Tom is a very appealing hero.

I was quite moved in the concluding chapters as it all comes together for Tom and his new friends, and really enjoyed the constant gentle humour and simple story.

Bravo, David - I hope this does well. It will be a lovely Christmas Day adaptation as well. Will you be playing Tootsie this time?

Suitable for over 7s (and I might read it aloud to my 5 year old!).

16 people found this helpful

Absoloutely Brilliant!

Would you listen to The Midnight Gang again? Why?

Yes! I am sure that I will be listening to this again because it was simply fantastic. It was everything you could hope for in a story. It made me laugh and made me cry, I also adore the characters.

What did you like best about this story?

I love that this was a story about ordinary sickly children doing extraordinary brilliant things in the interests of helping other children.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

This book was brilliantly narrated throughout by Walliams himself and a number of other people.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes! I could not stop listening!

Any additional comments?

This is a fantastic book, I am an adult and loved every bit of it. Not to be missed!

14 people found this helpful

Midnight gang!

I loved this book its sad funny and very interesting. I really liked it . the ending was sad though

14 people found this helpful

Amazing

My first audio book from David walliams and what a corker. Great storyline, likeable characters, humour and sadness all expertly handled, this is a real winner. Would recommend for all ages

12 people found this helpful

Super!!!!!!!!!

I absolutely loved this story, it was brilliant!!!!😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍💙💜💚❤️💙💜💚❤️! It was totally awesome and super brilliant!

10 people found this helpful

excellently funny

extremely funny and is the best audio-book so far!
love this book so much and David Williams is so much fun to listen to and its easy to put it into your imagination!!!

4 people found this helpful

David Walliams is brilliant

I loved it all I went to Scotland and I was bored but my dad put it on and then it was such a good time

4 people found this helpful

I love it

It is an amazing book read beautifully and I will read the book next i recommend this very much

4 people found this helpful

Best Book Ever!❤️🧡💛💚💙

Really good book

The midnight gang is very very good
Really recommend it 💕💕 Best Book EVER!!!

3 people found this helpful