A review by Nalini Haynes
A review by Nalini HaynesViolet, Katie, Nate and Alice all love the book Gallows Dance by Sally King. Gallows Dance is a sensation that even had a movie. The foursome head to ComicCon to have their photos taken with the lead actor but have an accident, waking up in the world of the Gallows Dance. They believe they have to complete the story to escape back to their own world.
The Fandom is a celebration of fan fiction and, I suspect, may have started out as fan fiction. I generally love these kinds of stories, lumping them in with time travel, parallel universes etc in my mind, all of which I’ve loved since watching Doctor Who behind my uncle’s chair when I was a toddler.
Day attempts to subvert and critique this trope but with limited success: in the end, critiques are dismissed and the story embraces the cheese to go the whole way. Unfortunately, she tries to explain why and how the foursome were transported into the story, which neither works nor explains how it was possible. Also, a rule is laid down regarding how to get home but that rule is applied somewhat inconsistently.
In the vein of Charlotte Sometimes, The Fandom embraces a well-worn trope and the cheese to provide a comfort read with a reasonable but not entirely satisfying ending.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781910655672
Publisher: THE CHICKEN HOUSE
Thanks to Australian Scholastic for the review copy.
