Daisy Jacobs Saves the World by Gary Hindhaugh is a thrilling psychological adventure to be caught up in and I mean that quite literally.
Daisy is a normal high school girl with all the same fears and emotional turmoil of a 15 year old going on inside her head except she is extremely smart and loves school. Boys are another matter as is the in crowd. Those days are a lifetime ago for me; but I still remember.
Quark comes to Earth to gobble everyone up, one human at a time with Daisy Jacobs as his first bite. Daisy figured out that something wasn’t quite right and fights back by creating a safe place in her brain to block Quark from getting all of her. Sort of like a panic room. It’s a bit spooky and unnerving to be inside Daisy’s head while she is trying to get a handle on what’s really happening and come up with a plan. It almost felt like I was trapped in there with her. Getting the low down on both Daisy and Quark in this manner was an interesting ploy by the author. Daisy knows she only has one chance for saving herself and the world. There are no do overs or second chances.
Daisy Jacobs Saves the World is a humorous and thought provoking psychological sci-fi thriller that would definitely impress Alfred Hitchcock. It would make a great movie. I admit that I never actually closed the book till the very last page just in case.
Parental Note:
The language and the story is appropriate for 12 and up. The story does have some scary moments. It’s a psychological thriller not a chain saw massacre.
A Thrilling ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Great read!
My 12 year old son says to give this one five stars. Very much enjoyed and recommended!
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2022
Daisy Jacobs Saves the World by Gary Hindhaugh is a thrilling psychological adventure to be caught up in and I mean that quite literally.
Daisy Jacobs Saves the World is a humorous and thought provoking psychological sci-fi thriller
Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2022
Daisy is a normal high school girl with all the same fears and emotional turmoil of a 15 year old going on inside her head except she is extremely smart and loves school. Boys are another matter as is the in crowd. Those days are a lifetime ago for me; but I still remember.
Quark comes to Earth to gobble everyone up, one human at a time with Daisy Jacobs as his first bite. Daisy figured out that something wasn’t quite right and fights back by creating a safe place in her brain to block Quark from getting all of her. Sort of like a panic room. It’s a bit spooky and unnerving to be inside Daisy’s head while she is trying to get a handle on what’s really happening and come up with a plan. It almost felt like I was trapped in there with her. Getting the low down on both Daisy and Quark in this manner was an interesting ploy by the author. Daisy knows she only has one chance for saving herself and the world. There are no do overs or second chances.
Daisy Jacobs Saves the World is a humorous and thought provoking psychological sci-fi thriller that would definitely impress Alfred Hitchcock. It would make a great movie. I admit that I never actually closed the book till the very last page just in case.
Parental Note:
The language and the story is appropriate for 12 and up. The story does have some scary moments. It’s a psychological thriller not a chain saw massacre.
A Thrilling ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Images in this review
- Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2021
“Daisy Jacobs Saves the World” is destined to become one of the best in its genre.
Destined to become one of the best in its genre!
Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2021
Three years ago, my then 7-year-old great-niece asked me to read “Wonder” by R.J. Palacio. She loved the book and wanted to share it with me. It was excellent. I decided then to find a book just as remarkable as “Wonder” to give to Sophie. I found the perfect book in Gary Hindhaugh’s “Daisy Jacobs Saves the World.”
I ordered a paperback copy for Sophie and the ebook for myself. Today I finished the ebook and simply must shout it from the rooftop: Gary Hindhaugh wrote a stellar story!
Have you ever met a person and thought, I like them – I hope I get to see them again. And you do. You have another good time. In fact, you make plans to get together the next day, then the day after that. You look forward to seeing them. Eventually you become closer. You’re inseparable. And suddenly, you realize you’re in love.
That is what reading “Daisy Jacobs Saves the World” is like. You find yourself enjoying it from the get-go and are curious to learn more. Who is this Daisy? Who – what – is this Quark? Why do they fascinate you? It feels good to be with the story. You’re interested, you’re thinking about the story when you’re not reading it. You’re wondering what is going to happen next. You’re excited when you get to pick up and start reading again. Before the last page appears, you are deeply in love with Daisy’s – and even Quark’s – story.
What I loved: The premise is marvelous, of course, but Hindhaugh chose NOT to do some of the sub-plots we might expect in a novel with a 14-year-old protagonist. For example, it’s absent of “mean girls.” Does that mean everyone is a Pollyanna and all teenage trouble and drama are absent? No! Hindhaugh was more creative in the anxiety inflicted on our poor Daisy. We feel it acutely, but not in the tired old tropes some stories slip into. Yes, teens are teens (bags of chemically-crazy hormones) the world over and even the “best” ones can be unpredictable and snarky. Yet, Hindhaugh doesn’t take this too far in the schoolyard. He knows how to offer enough to be believable, but pulls back so we remember that not all teens are the hellish stereotypes we accuse them of being.
Daisy’s worries scramble to a higher level. She’s faced with choices of, well, globally epic proportions. What would you do if you were the singular force stopping the annihilation of the entire planet? Would you have the courage of a 14-year-old girl? And could you do it with the thoughtfulness and selflessness of Daisy Jacobs? Few adults would have such bravery – and persistence.
Daisy isn’t without flaws, however. Quark is quick to point out Daisy’s uncharitable attitude with regards to a couple of her peers. And yet, we witness one of Daisy’s greatest powers when she interacts with her nemesis Quark: kindness.
We also see kindness coming from Daisy’s best friend Amy. What a willingness to love and forgive! What a testament to never give up hope! (Could there be a gentle lesson for us adults here?)
Another aspect I loved: the claustrophobia. Hindhaugh BRILLIANTLY brings the reader to feel Daisy’s “tiny room.” This is such a clever piece of the story. The reader learns Daisy’s imagination is great – clearly Hindhaugh’s is as well.
The ending is perfect. Hindhaugh could not have brought the story to a close any better than he did. I found myself crying as I smiled and read the last character conversations… pictured what was being described, imagining the future. The goosebumps on my arms were real. The author hit all the marks.
Adults, read this book. Buy it for your tweens and teens to read. Discuss it with them! It’s destined to become one of the best in its genre.
Images in this review
- Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2021
Top reviews from other countries
- Julia BlakeReviewed in the United Kingdom on June 18, 2021
A wonderfully quirky and heartwarming tale
- BruceReviewed in Canada on August 15, 2022
And now, something completely different.
- BarbaraLReviewed in the United Kingdom on June 13, 2021
Thoughtful, exciting and funny: A unique book
- M J JoblingReviewed in the United Kingdom on July 15, 2021
Like reading hitchhiker’s guide for the first time. Funny and thought provoking.
- Amazon CustomerReviewed in the United Kingdom on July 21, 2021
Awesome!
Having had the absolute privilege of seeing Daisy come to life (albeit from afar - via Instagram) I’ll be totally honest – I was a little nervous about actually reading her completed story. What if I didn’t like it? What if?Amazon CustomerAwesome!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 21, 2021
Of course, I needn’t have worried. I absolutely loved it! Well done Gary Hindhaugh!
Daisy Jacobs is simply wonderful! Funny, clever and fierce, she carries all the heavy themes of the book with her back straight and her head held high. The whole book is packed full of lovely observations about belonging, about identity, about friendship and about aliens.
Daisy’s relationship with our world conquering alien Quark is also rather fab and their dialogue often had me laugh out loud.
Now, I am obviously older than this book’s intended audience, but I really loved those occasional references to my youth’s culture and customs – It bridged a gap between the generations, and I thought that was rather clever.
In terms of literary comparisons, Daisy Jacobs is nothing like anything I have read before. Having said that, I did get notes of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett along the way. Whether that is owing to the astute observations on life or down to the fabulous sense of humour I really couldn’t say, but if you like those two chaps, Hindhaugh might just be your chap too 😉❤️
Images in this review
