I loved 'Boy Underwater' so, so much, and it's great to continue the series here. Adam Baron is a hilarious writer, with characters that are full of humour and very believable, and mysteries that keep you wanting to read until the end. I've recommended this and Boy Underwater to several kids in our libraries.

Coming late to reviewing this as now reading the third in the series and remembered I had forgotten to post a review. These books are great - Boy Underwater, this one and This Wonderful Thing. This is the second in the series and is another adventure for Cymbeline and Veronique where they tackle two mysteries. It is gently funny and the school descriptions are spot on. Both Cymbeline and Veronique are great characters and the pace perfect for middle grade readers. Appeal to a wide range of readers and amongst the books I most regularly recommend.

Loved this book as much as Boy, Underwater. Baron evokes a very entertaining subtle humour in his books which is very appealing. Highly recommended. I look forward to his next book very much.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

Here’s something you should believe: this story is a must-read! Cymbeline made me smile on many occasions as the conversational style of the writing, and the anecdotes around school and home life, and use of humour drew me inexorably towards him: he is just so incredibly likeable! Coupled with this, he is honest, kind and empathetic, qualities he has in spades as he astutely pieces together the clues to solve two intriguing mysteries.
Cymbeline is best friends with Veronique whose beloved Nanai, who came to England as a refugee from Vietnam, has stopped talking and eating, and Cymbeline is determined to solve the mystery, not only to make his best friend smile again, but because he also adores Nanai. With the help of Kit-Kat, the most adorable and clever rat – not a hamster – and his adroit sleuthing skills, he very cleverly pieces together the puzzle, revealing some incredible twists and revelations.
Not content with solving one mystery, Cymbeline is also intent on finding out who appears to have a grudge against his favourite teacher, Mrs Martins who has been targeted in a very nasty way. The children of St Saviour’s School adore her and are shocked by what happens to her, so who could the perpetrator be?
Whilst Cymbeline is very perceptive at solving mysteries outside his family, he is not quite so adept at spotting what in going on in his own family – until the last moment!
I adored the friendship between Cymbeline and Veronique. They really have each other’s backs no matter the consequences. Each is willing to make personal sacrifices to help the other. Their relationship feels very authentic and heartfelt with a genuine connectedness from the everyday activities they enjoy with each other to Cymbeline’s pain and helplessness at his friend’s distress, and his dogged determination to bring her Nanai back to the family.
This story expertly blends humour with poignant moments; home with school life; modern life with historical context; and, misunderstandings with revelations, all of which captured me in an engrossing read which made this book unputdownable. I hope I get to meet Cymbeline in Year 5!
I would highly recommend this book to any child of 9+ and their teachers!

I adored Boy under Water, so was incredibly thrilled to receive this - which I am loving so far. Full review to follow shortly!

A lovely book my daughter (10yo) thoroughly enjoy. The story is intriguing enough to keep her interested all the way through.

Wow! I have read Boy Underwater and You won’t believe this in the same week and they are both amazing.

In Boy Underwater we meet Cymbeline Igloo and learn about his past, his family and his friends. He is an amazing boy and I might be his biggest fan. He is loyal, kind and loving! He accepts people for who they are and is true to himself. Even though he must feel overwhelmed with all he is dealing with there is more to come and it is full of twists and turns as we discover the truth.

In You Won’t Believe This, Cymbeline is back with best friend Veronique and there are mysteries to solve in school. Terrible things are happening to their favourite teacher and no one knows who is daring to be so cruel. Cymbeline and his friends are determined to get to the bottom of the crime but they struggle to find any evidence. On top of the events at school, Nanai, Veronique’s grandmother, is very ill and has stopped eating, Cymbeline has a knack for seeing patterns and anomalies in both events and believes there is more to learn.

We follow Cymbeline through day to day life while he tries to solve the mysteries and I was continuously impressed with his skills in finding information, interviewing suspects and eventually figuring things out! This book is wonderful- full of interesting characters and a brilliant story line. There are also fun surprises along the way.

I was enthralled by both stories and think Cymbeline is an excellent character. Both stories are very firmly at the top of my favourites list.
It was excellent to be able to read them so close together and I felt as though I really got to know Cymbeline, Veronique, Nanai and Cymbeline’s mum.

Add this book to your wish lists, it is superb!