Big Match Manager 2

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View books by Thomas Sheldon.

Both hooked! - Rated
I bought Big Match Manager for my 11-year-old son to bring on holiday having seen a rainy forecast. On the Sunday it was blazing sunshine, but could we prise the book from Alistair's hand? No.

First off, the book is in the 'choose your own adventure' style, which Ali hadn't seen before (although I remember them from my 'youth'). But it was easy enough to get started. The reader plays the manager of a (made up?) professional football team, and the aim is to win the league. Woven through this is a mystery plot to solve, so there is a mixture of tensions from both the football and thriller elements as we picked our way from page to page, making decisions on which players to buy and sell and finding clues to the mystery. The book is also a game: each time 'Saturday' comes around, there is a match to play against a rival team, each with their different strengths (and eccentric managers!). On top of all this is a healthy dollop of footballing irreverence, which will be familiar to anyone who has watched Match of the Day or listened to commentary on Five Live!

Having only intended to get Ali started on the book, before I knew it we were both getting stuck into playing the matches, tracking our team's position in the league table, making decisions on team strategy and squad training and piecing together the clues to the 'whodunit'. And I'm 41. The matches are fun to play without being too complicated, and there was a real feeling of 'time running out' as the end of the season approaches and the plot becomes deeper and darker. The pursuit at the end is especially thrilling - but I won't spoil it!

This book is seriously addictive. Based on Alistair's reluctance to give it up, and my own enthusiasm, I would recommend it to anyone who likes their footie intense, funny, and exciting!

Funny and exciting - Rated
I loved this book!!!! You choose what pages to go, a bit like fighting fantasy but instead your the Football manager and you have to choose what players are in your team and also get the clues to your best striker (Danny Knox) who has been kidnapped. The football bits are really realistic, and I liked reading about the other managers at the start, and the end is really exciting and scary, I ketp wanting to turn the page to see what happened next. Brilliant book thanks!!!