'English readers of Mark Haddon will certainly delight in this quirky and emotionally resonant short chapter book.'
A Good Night for Shooting Zombies
with glow-in-the-dark cover
Jaco Jacobs
Sometimes the end is just the beginning of a new adventure.
Martin’s life changes the day his dad is killed in a car accident.
No one talks about it. His mum refuses to leave the house. His sister is only interested in her boyfriend. And Martin? He spends his afternoons alone with the family chickens – that’s why they call him ‘Clucky’ – and at night, he solves difficult maths problems in his head to help him fall asleep.
But one day Martin meets a boy called Vusi, who dreams of making a zombie movie. The two are plunged head first into a wild adventure, pulling everyone they know along with them.
Shortlisted for the Found in Translation award, it has also since been made into a popular film in Afrikaans.
Reviews
Booklist
‘Never too sentimental or depressing, A Good Night for Shooting Zombies strikes a perfect balance of humour and heartbreak and helps to define what friendship really means.’
Foreword starred review
'A Good Night For Shooting Zombies is a wonderful and exciting story with true emotional depth...a compact and briskly told adventure.'
Ross Welford, author of Time Travelling with a Hamster
'For the first time in a long while we see the publication of a new Afrikaans book for teens which strikes the perfect balance between excellent language use, a good story and a philosophical flavour that will captivate younger and older readers.'
Rapport
'This story touched my heart more than any other story has ever done.'
Lizé Vosloo, the scriptwriter who adapted the book into a movie
'Cancer and death aren't exactly fun subjects. But even though you expect the book to be depressing, it's exactly the opposite.'
Ingrid Hydenrych in JIP
'An emotive and enjoyable read.'
Kirkus
'Jaco Jacobs undoubtedly has the gift of writing entertaining stories. His characters are believable, and ever so often there's a hint of humour to make the reading experience even more pleasurable.'
Lona Gericke IBBY South Africa Newsletter
‘The ending of this story is so good. There is a logical conclusion that involves everyone in the story and brings things full circle. It was heart warming and leaves a happy feeling with the reader. I think this book is worth the read and I'm giving it 4 stars!’
The Write Path blog
‘Jaco Jacobs’ writing keeps pages turning; the end of the story will stick with you long after you close the book. I became a Jaco fan after reading last year’s A Good Day for Climbing Trees. A Good Night for Shooting Zombies just sealed it. I can’t wait to read more.’
Mom Read It blog
Praise for A Good Day for Climbing Trees:
'Quirky, charming and very funny, but with a real emotional punch. It is the perfect place to start for someone looking to move on from The Wimpy Kid books.' Anthony McGowan, author of The Donut Diaries
