Pop!: Fizzy drinks. A trillion dollars. The adventure that ends with a bang. Paperback – 6 May 2021

Fantastic. Corporate near-dystopia, with soft drinks companies having obscene power and influence, along with a worryingly compliment society. Close enough to reality make you wince at times. Perfectly paced, brilliant court battle and exceptional dramatic use of an alligator.

I was instantly drawn into this book right from the off. We join the story with Queenie and her family in their rundown Californian coastal home and a discovery that set’s off an adventure that will change her life.Mitch Johnson has created a thrilling adventure novel that doesn’t shy away from big themes, including corporate green and climate change. There’s always the chance of coming unstuck when covering big themes, but boy does he pull it off.With characters and a plot that keep you hooked throughout and a satisfying ending, I highly recommend adding this to your reading list!

I read this on the recommendation of a teaching colleague and I am so glad it did because I probably wouldn't have picked it up otherwise. Clever, original, sharp, fast-paced, thought-provoking and, above all, wickedly funny, this wasn't at all what I was expecting and I absolutely loved it.

Unlike anything that I’ve read before which made this book a breath of greasy air. You couldn’t get any more different to Mitch Johnson’s first book, Kick.With major issues such as caring for our planet, being responsible for our actions and standing up for what is right interwoven so beautifully throughly this book, you would be mad not to use it in any upper primary classroom.

My 11 year old daughter absolutely loved this book. She hasn’t read anything for a while and is a bit hard to please, as she is obsessed with other book series she loves and rereads, but she was really excited about this one. Thanks to the author for a job well done!

POP! by Mitch Johnson⭐️⭐️---As a primary teacher, I’m always on the look out for new releases to recommend to the children I teach. Unfortunately I don’t think this is going to be one of them.When the recipe to the worlds most famous is thought to be lost the world is in despair. Until it washes up by Queenie’s feet. Queenie quickly finds herself as the most sought after person on the planet and ends up going on the run.The book aims to teach children about global corporations and the mess they are leaving behind, however I think this gets lost in the totally unbelievable storyline. Another thing that really wound me up was the constant references to everyone and everything by full names.Thank you to NetGalley for this fantastic e-ARC but unfortunately it won’t be one I’m stocking in my classroom library

It’s not often that I write a bad review because i’m so passionate about children’s literature and love to celebrate authors whose work I have enjoyed, but I also think it’s important to share where i am disappointed.The book ‘Pop!’ was probably one of the worst books I’ve read. It is targeted at children aged 9-11 but i’m not sure that I’d give it to a child aged 16 because of the distressing themes. - It’s called ‘Pop!’ because of the sound the gun makes when a child is shot at during her trial, to sentence her to death. - No I can’t believe I just typed that sentence either🤷🏻‍♀️The blurb suggests it is a adventure where a secret recipe for a drink goes missing and a young girl stumbles across it and a race to regain it begins. However, without any warning it involves shootings in shops, kidnap, plane crashes, torture, car accidents, physical abuse, murder and somehow the characters end up in Area 51 discussing the conspiracy theories around the death of President Kennedy.I think the author’s aim is to teach children that large companies are ruining the planet with litter and pollution but the wrong angle is taken and this is lost within the completely unrealistic storyline. What is most confusing of all is that there is discussion about whether climate change is real, which is just complex for the young audience it is aimed at.I also most disgusted by the racist stereotypes thrown around. It’s 2021 you’d think people would think that saying “This just goes to show what happens when you let foreigners into our country” is unacceptable, let alone writing it in a book for children - teaching our future generation it’s acceptable to discriminate against those of a different race.Overall I wouldn’t recommend this book, and I think it really opens my eyes to the importance of pre reading texts before handing them over to children in class.

Pop! is an action packed gripping, highly addictive adventure that once you start reading you cannot get enough. A really fun and laugh out loud hilarious read.