Review: The 1,000 Year Old Boy by Ross Welford

The 1,000 Year Old Boy
by Ross Welford
Published by Harper Collins
Middle grade, fantasy, historical, adventure

There are stories about people who want to live forever.

This is not one of those stories.

This is a story about someone who wants to stop…
Alfie Monk is like any other nearly teenage boy – except he’s 1,000 years old and can remember the last Viking invasion of England.

Obviously no one believes him.

So when everything Alfie knows and loves is destroyed in a fire, and the modern world comes crashing in, Alfie embarks on a mission to find friendship, acceptance, and a different way to live…

… which means finding a way to make sure he will eventually die.

Obviously no one believes him.

The 1,000 Year Old Boy is wonderfully profound story. It is a clever take on what it is to live forever, particularly how the magic works. Alfie Monk is a thousand year old boy, who's a Neverdead like his mother and cat, Biffa. But when a tragedy strikes, Alfie wants to find the means to reverse the magic and start aging again because living forever it is not so glamorous when you have been eleven for centuries. Alfie meets Aidan and Roxy, who becomes his friends, and their adventure begins.

There's a lot of twists and obstacles Alfie and his friends have to face - it's a great adventure story with important theme. I loved the little snippets of history as Alfie remembers everything from the last Viking invasion to the World Wars. Such a charming story and I'm sure to remember it a while.

The 1,000 Year Old Boy is a brilliant story because of how impactful it is. Many of us have wondered what it would be to live forever and not age, and Welford offers something different from vampires and other immortal creatures of the night. There's also humour and Alfie is a wonderful main character, old soul in a young body who's a little bit lost and needs accepting friends. Aidan and Roxy are great on their own ways, Roxy ever accepting what live throws at her and Aidan a bit more cautious but a good friend nonetheless.
4 of 5 stars
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