A Good Night for Shooting Zombies

Martin, also called Clucky, spends most of his time with his chickens after his dad dies, as well as thinking a lot about maths. His mother has withdrawn in her grief and his sister spends all her time with her boyfriend.

He meets his neighbour Vusi when Vusi’s dog kills Martin’s favourite chicken. Introductions don’t go well when Vusi reveals he knows about Martin’s mother being a former actress, which leaves Vusi with a bloody nose.

Sent over to apologise the next day, Martin learns that Vusi has cancer, and the two bond over Vusi’s love for horror films. Vusi’s ambition is to create a zombie movie, and as Martin helps realise Vusi’s vision, he begins to step out of his comfort zone and discover his potential.

This is the second of Jaco Jacobs’s books to be translated from Afrikaans and it is a wonderfully quirky, humorous and heart-warming read. Jacobs is a superb storyteller, blending a captivating voice with a compelling plot. You can immediately tell he is a master at writing for children and young adults.

With over 140 books to his name, we can only hope that more continue to be translated into English from what is likely to be a treasure trove of stories.