When I was told that I was going to be reviewing The Tapper Twins Go To War I wasn’t exactly delighted. I thought it was a bit stupid-looking, in the sense that the main character, Claudia Tapper, was making such an ENORMOUS deal over a sibling squabble, and Reese (Claudia’s twin) was so stereotypically like all the boys in stories (and actual real life); spends all his time in one of his video games, and doesn’t give a donkey’s backside what his sister spends her time doing. Really, there’s quite a lot more to the plot than that.
It is recorded, by Claudia, as an oral history, and then translated onto paper. It’s really quite funny, and I especially love the way there are sections that are supposed to be screen-shotted texts from the twins’ parents, showing another side of the story.
I really do like the whole idea of the story, the back-and-forth of insults, humiliations and consequences, and the reactions of bystanders are included (the twins’ best friends; etc.).
After Reese posts an extremely embarrassing video on their social media site, ‘ClickChat’, Claudia officially declares WAR. I especially love when the war accelerates to become a cyberbullying situation on the online game, MetaWorld.
The sequel has just come out, and I will be sure to purchase it THE MOMENT it comes into stores around me, for the original is absolutely brilliant. The setting is perfect, the layout ingenious, and the characters well thought-out.
I loved this book (much more than I expected!) and I feel absolutely obligated to rate it a 9 11/12 out of 10!
- Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop
