I was charmed by Lizard’s Tale and devoured it in one sitting. It is an engaging middle grade story set in Singapore just before the breakout of war. Packed with adventure and espionage, while also drawing on historical events, this was the perfect combination for me.

The main character, Lizard, is extremely likeable – he is keen to better the situation he finds himself in, as well as discover what has happened to his lost Uncle Archie. I found his relationship with Lili entertaining and engaging and felt their friendship grew throughout the book.

Overall, 4* read and a welcome addition to the growing number of MG books set around World War Two. I would recommend this to children in my class (10-11+)

This historical middle grade novel set in Singapore in 1940 is incredibly rich in its setting. Lizard, who recently lost his guardian Uncle Archie, finds himself caught up in the middle of a story of rival spies after stealing a code box from the Raffles Hotel. After discovering that his feisty friend Lili is actually a child spy working for the British, Lizard enlists her help to rescue his uncle. A wonderfully unique book that will draw readers in with its vibrant historical color; the fact that many of the characters are based on real historical figures makes it even more compelling!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Its a mystery book suitable for 11+ I would say. Lizard us a boy in search of his missing uncle, who unknowingly becomes friends with a spy and quickly falls into a mystery and war. The characters are well-written, the story well thought through and a great ending.

I really liked this totally mad novel, set in pre-war Singapore. Chan did a wonderful job of really painting a picture of historical Singapore, I could visualise it all so easily. The book is Middle Grade, but I felt like the language was complex enough, and the story entertaining enough, that it could appeal to just about any age.

The two children, Lizard and Lili, were both equally captivating, and you couldn't help but feel scared for them at times. Their story takes a few unexpected twists and turns, which were occasionally implausible, but added to the fun nature of the novel. A great little tale, full of friendship, curry puffs and espionage.

A good historical fiction takes you to the time and place, and you never come up for air the whole time reading it. A good historical fiction uses real people, along with fictionalized people, and weaves them all together, so you can't see what was added. And a good historical fiction doens't make you stop and run to a book to double check that this all happened.

This wonderful book does all these things, and more. I was amazed, when I had finished the book, to learn who all the real people were either based on, or were real, including the areas of the book.

Lizard, the main character, is totally believable, and is Lili, who turns out to be part of something much bigger than he could imagine. The plot is fun, and has some good action points, although I kept expecting to be more surprised than I was. All in all, it was a fun romp. Full of spies, secret agents, and a missing uncle.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

I loved the concept of this middle grade adventure: mystery, action and espionage in pre-war Singapore. The setting is the real star of this story: the sights, the smells and the rich diversity of 1940s colonial Singapore are brought vividly to life. It's the perfect melting-pot scenario for a valuable exploration of identity and empire - which is refreshing to see and is wonderfully written for a middle grade audience.

The characterisation is a little weak: though likeable, the main protagonists are quite simplistically drawn. And while the plot itself is exciting, I found the narrative a little underwhelming. Maybe it's just that I didn't really gel with the writing style, but I found the pacing a little eratic and some poignant moments were oddly emotionless.

Lizard's Tale is a unique and engaging middle-grade adventure; it lacks some literary polish, but it still makes an enjoyable and thought-provoking read.

Lizard is a boy living in the Chinese district of Singapore around the time of WWII. It is a dangerous time and there are tensions around the British, Japanese and Chinese people living in the city. Lizard is a petty thief until he steals something of incredible value. It plunges him deep within a network of spies, espionage and secret agents. He has to learn who he can trust and fight his way out of dangerous situations. He does this alongside Lili, a friend, who is also a secret agent working for the British.
There are plenty of plot twists, links between characters and tense moments of capture.
Lizard, Lili, and new acquaintance Georgina, are caught in the middle of a battle over a secret code book that could turn the tide of the war. Lizard had stolen it, realised its danger and tried to put it back. However, Lili wants to steal the book but it gets left behind during the kidnapping of Georgina. With so many plot twists and suspenseful moments, you won’t want to put this book down.
I thoroughly lost myself in the splendour of the Raffles Hotel, could picture the tightly packed Chinese quarter and imagine hearing the multitude of languages being spoken in the streets, This is a book to awaken your senses and keep you gripped to the last page!

While the story is unique and interesting, it vacillates between being really slow and drawn out and fast-paced to the point of skipping over details. With my class typically being composed of struggling readers, this would not be a good fit for them. For the strong-reader child who is interested in Asia, or World War 2, or just a unique story, it's definitely one to try.