Millions is the story of a young boy called Damian Cunningham who finds a bag filled with money (£229, 370, to be precise) that has seemingly fallen from the sky. His discovery comes at a time when England is about to change its currency and join the Euro, and so Damian must find a way to spend the money as quickly as possible, before it becomes worthless. Aiding him in this quest is his older brother and only confidant, Anthony; however, unlike Anthony, Damian is a boy of great conscience and sensitivity, and is frequently troubled over the question of "the right thing to do"...
Millions is funny, thought-provoking and moving - as well as being a fairly swift read. There are numerous questions raised within this story - some of them obvious, some of them less so. For example, what is the true value of money? What is the difference between selfishness and selflessness? Which is more important - personal gratification or helping other people? It also addresses issues such as trust (in the book, there are various incidents and one or two characters that cause Damian to question people's their true motives) and grief (Damian's story begins not long after the death of his mother, and his efforts at being "excellent" are a means of coping with this loss).
This book is aimed at able readers aged between 9 and 13, who will no doubt identify with the narrator (Damian) despite his idiosyncrasies, and enjoy discussing the rather grown-up themes presented so expertly by the author.
Matt Pucci
