I’m not a natural fan of authors who refuse to use apostrophes but Matt Haig’s Hamlet-esque Dead Fathers Club, narrated by an 11-year-old, somehow gains piquancy from it. This is the story of Philip, whose late dad appears as a ghost and tells the boy that he was murdered by Uncle Alan. Philip must now avenge him by killing Uncle Alan. And he has to do it before his father’s birthday in a few weeks, otherwise Dad’s ghost will be condemned to haunt the pub car park forever. Phil Hogan, The Observer Matt Haig is the number one bestselling author of Reasons to Stay Alive and six highly acclaimed novels for adults, including How to Stop Time, The Humans and The Radleys. As a writer for children and young adults he has won the Blue Peter Book Award, the Smarties Book Prize and been nominated three times for the Carnegie Medal. His work has been published in over forty languages. Arming himself with weapons from the school chemistry cupboard, Philip vows to carry out the ghost's relentless demands for revenge. But can the words of a ghost be trusted any more than the lies of the living?

The Dead Fathers Club by Matt Haig: 9780143112945

Philip Noble is an eleven-year-old in crisis. His pub landlord father has died in a road accident, and his mother is succumbing to the greasy charms of her dead husband's brother, Uncle Alan. The remaining certainties of Philip's life crumble away when his father's ghost appears in the pub and declares Uncle Alan murdered him. Then I asked him if he sees other ghosts and he said There are lots of ghosts inNewark and they take some getting used to because they are all from differentages. And I said It must beweird seeing all the ghosts. She turned to see where I was looking but she couldnt see anything and Dads Ghost was now tellingme to follow him with his hand.Carol Suzzane Noble– Mother of Phillip, Carol marries Alan and is unaware of the presence of Brian’s ghost. Phillip cares a lot for his mother, who is one of his only last sources of comfort. How might Philip’s mental disturbances be influenced by matters relating to sexuality, for example, his recent circumcision, his attraction toward his mother, and his ambivalent feelings about Leah? This is a very impressive novel; it’s being published as mainstream (and the Hamlet parallels throw it solidly into the literary-novel category rather than genre fantasy), but anyone with a passing familiarity with the plot of Hamlet could read it with great appreciation. Whatever you call it, it will be one of the major fantasy novels of 2007; it’s that good. Andrew Wheeler, senior editor at the Science Fiction Book Club

The Dead Fathers Club - Matt Haig The Dead Fathers Club - Matt Haig

What is the most useful way to understand the spirit that we come to know as Philip’s father’s ghost? Should he be thought of as a character, as an embodiment of Philip’s anxieties, as a demonic presence, or as something else? Why does Philip trust him for so long? A. I wouldn’t say I was consciously trying to write a certain way, but yes, I do feel that a lot of writers underestimate teenage readers. Teenagers are among the best kind of readers, because they have the intelligence to understand big ideas, combined with that open-mindedness you tend to shed with age. I said Where have you been? He said I am not here all the time. I go on and off. And I said Like a light bulb? And he smiled but in a sad way and he said Yes like a light bulb. It is hard to control where I go but I am getting better. And I said Have you been to the Pub before? He nodded his head and said You were asleep. Then I asked him if he sees other ghosts and he said There are lots of ghosts in Newark and they take some getting used to because they are all from different ages. And I said It must be weird seeing all the ghosts. He said It is. Then he was quiet for a second and then he said Philip. So I said What? But really I didnt want to know because I could tell from his voice that he was going to say something bad like when Grandad died. He said I have to tell you something. And then he stopped for a minute and looked at the door and I wondered why he was looking at the door but then Uncle Alan walked in and he never walks into the office and Uncle Alan looked at the computer and he said Your mum sent me to look for you. And he was smiling and his big hands were holding his glass of whisky on his big stomach. And he went over and touched my shoulder and he said Are you all right Philip? And I said Yes. And he said Its been a tough day for all of us. I said Yes. I just wanted him to stop touching my shoulder. I could see Dads Ghost looking at him and he was looking at him in a way I had never seen him look at anyone before es-

Dads Ghost was wearing the same clothes Dad was wearing the last time I saw himwhich was at breakfast on the day he died when I made him cross because Iwanted the PlayStation. He was wearing his T shirt which said King of theCastle with the word CASTLE written in red capital letters like on the signoutside the Pub. But now all the colours were more faded because Dad was paleand see through like the ghosts at the Haunted Mansion in Disney World and hehad blood running down from his hair.