I’m taking a short break from reading fantasy which is something I rarely do, but I found the perfect start with A Million Tiny Missiles All at Once by Lucas Maxwell. I got to know about this book via Lucas’s podcast, Booklings Chats, where he interviews children’s authors about their books.
I only really have one word for this book and that is “excellent”.
I didn’t think I’d love this book as much as I did and it shows it’s worth taking a step outside your normal genre reading every once in a while.
The book follows fourteen-year-old Elias, who is growing up in the 1990s rural Canada. He is autistic, but he’s much more than that. He’s funny and fiercely loves his family which he demonstrates throughout the book.
His family appear the be falling apart around him, particularly his older, seventeen-old brother, Bo, who has fallen in with the wrong crowd. So, to save them, he plans to win the school talent show – first prize – a family meal at Pizza Hut.
Firstly, I have never been to rural Canada, but Maxwell has this talent where he immerses the reader into the book’s setting. I felt like I was there, like I could feel the snow bite into my skin the way it did Elias. A million tiny missiles all at once captures the bitterness of Canada’s winter, and it’s lines like this that make me envious as a writer.
Because Elias thinks differently to most kids, it makes for an interesting narrative. He’s straight talking, explains what he does and doesn’t understand, and is up front about his challenges. What I love about Elias is that you know exactly where you stand with him along with the characters around him. He’s the opposite of an unreliable narrator. One thing you will learn is that he is not stupid, contrary to what is said by the people around him.
This book explores themes like toxic masculinity, how young men and boys feel they need to act, and how mismanagement of anger can result in destructive consequences. Maxwell doesn’t shy away from violence, to which Elias is often a victim. However, I loved those moments where Elias stands up for himself. Because for him it was never about showing off or trying to meet perceptions of what it means to be a man. For him, it was about standing up for his family.
The flashbacks contrast nicely of what Elias’s family was like in the past, and what they’re like at the time of the story. In the past, they were a family that were tight and loved each other. During the story, you see how fractured they are, the arguments, and how his brother treats Elias. You understand why Elias is so desperate to fix things, to make things how they were, and because of this, you root for him all the more.
There’s a quote on the back cover by Sarah Crossan stating, “Will stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page.” I often see quotes like this on the back of books, but this is one of those times where the quote really resonated with me.
If, like me, you’re looking to take a break from reading fantasy, then this is a great place to start.
If you’d like to listen to Lucas Maxwell speak about his book, or listen to his podcast in general, you can listen below:
Check out my review on Goodreads.
Paperback available on Amazon 3 October 2026
If novels are like the written form of movies, then this will feel like bingeing on your favourite TV show!
When sixteen-year-old Cassie gets kicked out of the Flitterbick School of Magic, she’s sentenced to work as a Magical Bounty Hunter for two years. Sure, they call it an internship, but it’s a punishment rather than a job opportunity.
With the help of her Scottish mentor, Victor, Cassie is launched into the life of a Chaser to reap the magic of criminals, but these aren’t your average magical lawbreakers. From a little old lady on Dublin’s Moore Street to a mob boss from 1920s New York, none of Cassie’s targets are what they seem.
Magical Bounty Hunters includes a series of five YA novelettes taking a teen witch across the world on death-defying missions while she discovers who she is along the way.
This book includes:
- Five stories, one epic series, all in one book.
- Twisty plots.
- Awesome magic.
- Majestic Tiger Dogs! (They’re as cool as they sound).
- Giants!
- Legends and folklore.
- Girl taking down bad guys.
Paperback available on Amazon 3 October 2026
