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Simon Mayo

Itch Hardcover – 1 Mar. 2012

by Simon Mayo (Author)

343 ratings

Book 1 of 3 in the Itch Series

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'A great debut . . . you'll be itching to read more.' Anthony Horowitz

Meet Itch - an accidental, accident-prone hero. Science is his weapon. Elements are his gadgets. This is a hero with Geek-Power!

Itchingham Lofte - known as Itch - is fourteen, and loves science - especially chemistry. He's also an element-hunter: he's decided to collect all the elements in the periodic table. Which has some interesting and rather destructive results in his bedroom . . .

Then, Itch makes a discovery. A new element, never seen before. At first no one believes him - but soon, someone hears about the strange new rock and wants it for himself. And Itch is in serious danger . . .

Reading age

9 - 11 years
Print length

432 pages
Language

English
Dimensions

14.4 x 3.8 x 22.2 cm
Publisher

Doubleday Childrens
Publication date

1 Mar. 2012
ISBN-10

0857531301
ISBN-13

978-0857531308
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Product details

Publisher : Doubleday Childrens; First Edition (1 Mar. 2012)
Language : English
Hardcover : 432 pages
ISBN-10 : 0857531301
ISBN-13 : 978-0857531308
Reading age : 9 - 11 years
Dimensions : 14.4 x 3.8 x 22.2 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 855,242 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 14,320 in Children's Books on Growing Up & the Facts of Life
- 22,745 in Action & Adventure for Children (Books)
- 64,973 in Mind, Body & Spirit Self Help

Customer reviews:
343 ratings

Product description

Review

"A great debut . . . You'll be itching to read more" (Anthony Horowitz)

"A gripping read" (Financial Times, Books of the Year)

"Amid the teenage intrigue and heart-in-mouth escapades there are sequin flashes of real science: reminders that physical chemistry really does make things happen" (Tim Radford Guardian)

"A cracking thriller which had me seriously worried our hero might not survive the story . . . A fantastic read" (Rachel Ayres Nelson The School Librarian)

"An exciting and nail-biting thriller" (Booktrust)

Book Description

Meet Itch - an accidental, accident-prone hero. Science is his weapon. Elements are his gadgets. This is a hero with Geek-Power!

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Customer reviews

5 star		71%
4 star		15%
3 star		10%
2 star		3%
1 star		1%

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Ian Partington

Itch by Simon Mayo

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 April 2019

Verified Purchase

I thought I would read his first book to see what he was like, comparing him to J K Rowling, and after having heard some interesting reviews. Well the comments that I heard and read were not wrong. Simon Mayo certainly has an ability that compares with great thriller writers, and I will certainly be reading more of his books.

4 people found this helpful

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SvD22

Great book, highly recommended

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 May 2017

Verified Purchase

I bought this book (and its sequels) to read as a science teacher keen to find fun and relatable ways to teach my students. Even though it's written for teens, this book had me hooked! I would highly recommend it to both teens and adults!

10 people found this helpful

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Jack Reviews

Terrifically engaging

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 February 2013

Verified Purchase

Chemistry is widely considered as one of the most difficult subjects to make exciting, but Simon Mayo, radio presenter of the BBC's Drivetime and Kermode and Mayo's Film Review, seems to have discovered the perfect formula for doing so: (explosions x noxious materials) ÷ sinister global corporations. And, utilising this winning equation, Mayo has penned his debut novel, Itch; the story of fourteen year old Itchingham Lofte who, whilst attempting to collect every element in the periodic table, comes into possession of a curious new element with world-changing potential.

At its core, Itch revolves around the relationship of Itch, his younger sister Chloe and his cousin Jacqueline (Jack) as they cope with the problems associated with possessing a radioactive substance the world and his dog would do anything to obtain. And what a charming and absorbing relationship it is; despite being the youngest, Chloe is the most sensible of the trio and keeps her likeable brother in check as his escapades teeter on the verge of disaster. Jack brings an abundance of smarts to the dynamic, helping Itch see through his more risky moments with a tomboyish expertise. Mayo has written all three of the central trio brilliantly, and you can't help but wonder if some traits of his own children have contributed to the mixture.

As for the chemistry included, it's well measured, clear and undeniably fascinating; from learning how the household objects you own relate to the periodic table, to explanations of explosive reactions, there is enough here to justify Itch as an informative text without ever suffocating the exciting plot. I recently wrote a piece arguing that the Pokémon games successfully communicate biological principles to their target audience, and I think it's fair to say that Itch does the same for Chemistry.

Being set in modern-day Cornwall (and being a young adult title), a good proportion of Itch takes place in the central trios' school. Mayo has always been vocal of his love of the Harry Potter series and some of the disastrous goings on at Cornwall Academy echo some of the more memorable happenings in the classrooms of Hogwarts. However, whilst there was always the healing properties of magic to help smooth things over in Rowling's universe, the potential consequences of Itch's exploits are more serious, and this is perhaps the book's greatest strength: whilst tremendous fun, there is the constant, underlying feeling that the main characters in Itch may well be about to come to serious harm.

12 people found this helpful

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H J Mac

This has stayed with me

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 June 2013

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This is a truly impressive story. I found myself thinking about it often and even after finishing my thoughts have turned to it. The sign of a great book. It's incredibly well written, with great descriptions and a real sense of place, and wonderful characters.

I was gripped and tense as it played out and did feel quite worried at times. There's some real darkness here. Some very nasty adults and unpleasant consequences for the young people caught up in the adventure. Itch is a great character, he is really clear thinking and bright, and I feel he's a real inspiration for the reader. He's realistic, Simon Mayo hasn't written a cardboard self insert, Itch makes mistakes, some which tun out to be grave, and he's really not sure about the right thing to do at times.

I think this is a morality tale, it's about doing the right thing in the face of adversity and fear, and even overcoming some dire personal discomfort to do so. The decisions made by Itch and his friends may have you holding your breath or wanting to scream at them. I certainly was, but they makes sense from a child's point of view and as such it's a really clever plot.

I'm now off to read the sequel as I can't wait!

7 people found this helpful

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Ian Kirkpatrick

Explosively original

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 April 2012

Verified Purchase

Simon Mayo. You probably know him as a radio DJ and might remember that he took over the flagship Radio One Breakfast Show from Mike Smith back in the 80's. You might also know him from his great 5Live afternoon show which included his verbal sparring with Mark Kermode debating the relative merits of the latest movies. Perhaps in recent years you've heard him as the Drivetime DJ on Radio 2, including the excellent Radio 2 Book Club. Well now he's written a novel and quite simply it is a revelation.

"Itch" is primarily aimed at the young teen market. Mayo's hero Itchingham Lofte is a nerdy fourteen year old science geek obsessed with collecting elements from the Periodic Table. Living in Cornwall he yearns to be a cool surfer boy, but can't learn how to catch a wave. However he does understand Chemistry and discovers what appears to be a completely new element with dramatic consequences, for himself, his cousin Jack and his sister Chloe.

This initially started life as a short story to amuse Mayo's youngest son before spiralling into a 94,000 word novel. However you wouldn't know that this was his first foray into fiction as it's a truly assured debut.

Mayo writes with skill and dexterity and seems to have an innate understanding of pace and plot development. He balances a broad range of characters and does a strong line in baddies without resorting to clumsy stereotypes.

Whilst the novel stands on its own without the need for comparisons it is an interesting exercise to compare it with The Philosopher's Stone, and for me it holds up pretty well. Rowling has the edge on inventiveness and pure fantasy, but Mayo has some great material up his sleeve, and some of it is very dark material indeed. He has also left sufficient loose ends and unresolved plot strands to ensure an incendiary sequel, which he is already writing.

Whilst his target audience is undeniably the young teen market the plot is sufficiently dark to provide an equal appeal to older audiences. Ultimately it's a story about great responsibility (hold on...that sounds like a tag-line for the new Avengers movie!).

I would have no hesitation in recommending this marvellous novel, whatever your age.

One person found this helpful

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