Neon’s Secret Universe; Sibéal Pounder, illustrated by Sarah Warburton

Think you know unicorns…think again. Sibéal Pounder, Neon and the UNIverse are about to challenge everything you thought you knew about the rainbow-maned, horned, mythical creatures, you’ll never think of them the same way again.

Never been considered normal, nine-year-old Neon Gallup is on an epic quest to prove she is not ‘the weird one’. Moving to Brunty is the perfect chance to ditch the colourful clothes, to reinvent herself and to fit in. Her plans are derailed when she discovers a goo-covered lipstick in her new bedroom and opens a portal to the UNIverse - a technicolour home to ‘real' unicorns. Now she must learn to command goo, defeat an evil villain, save two worlds, and all before her tenth birthday (in three days time) or she will be stuck in the UNIverse forever…

Slime flies when you’re having fun and I had a wild and wacky time in the UNIverse, learning the history of unicorns and the legend of Greg. Neon’s Secret Universe is a rainbow-coloured, goo-filled extravaganza that will flip any ideas about unicorns upside down. Hilariously funny and exploding with imagination (and goo), Neon embarks on the most madcap of fantasy adventures that bursts in full technicolour glory with plenty of nineties nostalgia. Oh for the days of tie-dye t-shirts, glow sticks, neon lava lamps and the Spice Girls.

A vividly imagined UNIverse - which is brought to life by the goo-tastic illustrations of Sarah Warburton, brilliant characters, an evil villain out to destroy the world and a goo for everything make for a rip-roaring read that is filled with heart and friendship whilst gently addressing identity, the desire to fit in and ultimately the joys found in embracing who your really are.

A cliffhanger ending has left me desperate for more gooey adventures and I cannot wait to see what happens next. Readers who enjoyed Sibéal’s Witch Wars and Bad Mermaids series will absolutely love this. I’m off to the Goomart to pick up some 3-IN-1 PICNIC GOO and a tub of GLITTER SLIDE.

Recommended for 7+.

With huge thanks to Bloomsbury for the copy I received in exchange for an honest review.