The Doomsday Club
by Kevin Moran
Interest age: 9 to 14
Reading age: 9+
Published by O'Brien, 2025
About this book
Jack, Conan, Yash and Jerry are in detention together, when they see a monstrous beast emerge from a portal outside their school.
They are most definitely not friends, but decide to investigate – hatching a plan to confront the creature after it goes into the house next door. But they find something even more sinister there – something ancient that puts them all in mortal danger. Can the boys put aside their differences and work together to save the world?
A pacey supernatural adventure with humour and compelling boy friendships as well as tense action scenes, this is a debut that readers will race through. It is set in Dublin, with characters from the Táin, Ireland’s mythological epic, and some use of the Irish language, but is accessible to all.
Kevin Moran is a teacher, and he depicts the friendship dynamics between these four 12-year-old boys extremely well. He explores the pressure to be the ‘cool, tough’ one, and having to hide that you’re smart, as well as the sadness of not being accepted as you are.
But this all takes a back seat to the monster-defeating action. With short chapters and real (often funny) dialogue, this is a fun read.
About the author
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Shiver Point
by Gabriel Dylan
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by Dave Rudden, illustrated by Ali Al Amine
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Tales of Ghosts and Hauntings
by Susan Martineau, illustrated by Vicky Barker
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