Reviews

I read this book in just a day as it’s such a fast paced book that keeps you wanting to read and found out what happens throughout the book. Children will really like reading this book as it’s about an evil dentist who takes all the children’s teeth and we found out she turns out to be a witch. The only bit I didn’t like was the main characters dad had to die at the end for no apparent reason apart from to help get the witch to either die or go away. The characters in this book are written really well for a children’s book and I liked some of the made up words that David uses. Overall a very good children’s book xxx

benheld's review

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

milujuopice's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

batmanbussy's review against another edition

Go to review page

"shat myself on the daily because of that book" - 1ssy

lcvesbooks's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

this was so fun to read even if i don’t remember much.

lucee318's review

Go to review page

medium-paced

3.25

katykelly's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

I've been a fan of Walliams' children's books since The Boy in the Dress. I loved Billionaire Boy. I've read all the others. And I'm thrilled that kids read them, love them, read some more.

But Ratburger and Demon Dentist... I'm disappointed. Maybe I'd be giving it 5 stars too if I was 10. But I just can't.

I think David Walliams' best books for kids are the ones that are obviously personal to him (and very touching) or funny without trying stupidly hard to be funny, without villains, that are character-driven, that don't aim towards an over-the-top Indiana Jones chase sequence and lose their unique feel.

There's nothing 'wrong' with Demon Dentist - you've got a poor kid who's lost his mum, whose dad is disabled from inhaling mine dust, who is losing teeth after bad experiences at the dentist many years ago. Along comes a scary new dentist intent on getting our hero into her chair for her own nefarious reasons. Our hero must work out what is going on and how to save the day. With a sidekick of sorts in a girl from school and with an overly-helpful chocolate munching social worker trying to get him to his dental appointment.

For me, things just didn't gel. Alfie himself is likeable - a young carer with a dentist phobia.
It's the characters around him that I didn't like. Winnie the social worker is very much a stereotype, and her biscuit munching annoying. I was a bit creeped out by Alfie's dad calling him "pup". And by Alfie constantly calling the underused Gabz, his "friend girl" as a "little girl"... She's in secondary school. I didn't understand why the dentist refers to herself as "Mummy" either.

Poor Raj, formerly my favourite character is taken out of his lovely corner shop context and put more firmly in the action, only to be "cowering" in every scene.

I didn't find a 'texting boy' character funny, maybe I'm just getting old...

And there were some plot questions I had:
*SPOILER ALERT*
What is the purpose of the acidic toothpaste - if the dentist wants teeth and the toothpaste destroys them, what good is that?!
Why does Alfie want a tooth from Raj and not from someone at school, many of whom seem to be losing their teeth every day?
Why can't the dentist just STAY DEAD?! How many times does she come back to life?
*END OF SPOILERS*

Walliams clearly admires Roald Dahl's books and emulates them (this time managing a Mr Twit-beard-like picture) but in my mind he falls short with his latest in measuring up. Dahl was almost Dickensian in his cast of supporting characters, Wallaims' aren't fleshed out. Even at 400 pages, this book resorts to visual gimmicks rather than revolting/witty descriptions. He's done it better in the past.

I didn't like the ending again, as with Ratburger. Too much of a chase (after chase after chase) with an ending I didn't want.

Am I an old misery guts? I hope not. I don't think Walliams will lose money with Demon Dentist, and I can see that it's going to be popular. I just think he's selling himself short by veering in this direction with his writing. Demon Dentist is in many ways his saddest book, but I found Billionaire Boy much more moving and that was about a rich kid! I found Boy in the Dress very upsetting - because a boy's dad missed his wife. These were more considered and character-driven, they didn't try as hard to win readers.

I didn't plan on writing this much. I just feel disappointed in Walliams a little.

I'm glad so many children are reading it, there's lots of techniques employed that they'll enjoy and learn from, it just really wasn't in the same league as earlier books from him.

More...