Anne Droyd and Century Lodge [Paperback]

Will Hadcroft (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 12, 2002

Gezz and her best friends Malcolm and Luke are having fun on the housing estate where they live when the arrival of a stranger interrupts their everyday lives and changes the world as they know it forever. Created by a professor of robotics, Anne Droyd is left in the care of these three children, who take her to school with them and teach her how to be 'a human'. This Asperger adventure explores the human condition and the need to integrate into a society that demands conformity. The author's pun on 'android' introduces the theme of alienation that runs throughout, a tool used to provide comfort to individuals who feel like 'aliens', excluded in a social environment. Readers will be captivated by the heroic characters and the colourful plot, and engaged by Hadcroft's imaginative presentation of real-life issues such as smoking, bullying and peer acceptance.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Will Hadcroft left school believing himself to be a failure both academically and socially because of our society's 'dislike for the unlike'. When he discovered the term Asperger Syndrome in 2003 everything began to make a lot more sense. Will has an insatiable passion for writing and is the author of The Feeling's Unmutual: Growing Up with Asperger Syndrome (Undiagnosed) also published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. He has written a number of articles for magazines such as the Celestial Toyroom and the Classic Television Magazine. He married in 1993 and lives happily with his wife Carol in Lancashire, England. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: C K Publishing (June 12, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 190367414X
• ISBN-13: 978-1903674147
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

More About the Author

I was born in the United Kingdom in 1970. My first book was written at age 10 in an exercise book. I married Carol in 1993. In 1998 I appreared on the Channel 4 TV programme RIGHT TO REPLY to talk about the BBC series DOCTOR WHO. In 2002 I published ANNE DROYD AND CENTURY LODGE with a small press company; it reached Number One in my home town. It was republished in 2004 by Jessica Kingsley for children battling Asperger syndrome. My autobiography THE FEELING'S UNMUTUAL (endorsed by Doctor Who actor Colin Baker and author John Christopher) was also published that year. In 2006 I appeared on BBC4's MY SCIENCE-FICTION LIFE, and in 2008 published ANNE DROYD AND THE HOUSE OF SHADOWS. I'm now working on Anne Droyd III and a standalone novel called THE BLUEPRINT.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Anne Droyd and Century Lodge, November 8, 2005

By 

Julie "JME" (Surrey, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anne Droyd And Century Lodge (Paperback)

This is written by a man with Asperger's Syndrome and tells the tale of three children who take care of a girl-robot, Anne, gradually initiating her into the "art" of being human. The book certainly has echoes of Blade Runner, ET and Star Trek, as well Harry Potter and Enid Blyton, but where this book scores impressively - apart from its creator - is that it deals with a wide range of very real and important issues including Nazism, terrorism, bullying in school, and what makes us human. There are also many delightfully humorous scenes. Hadcroft's attention to detail is at times very revealing.

Overall, a good adventure story, with moments of genuine tension and suspense.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Cult In The Making-Anne Droyd and Century Lodge by Will Hadcroft, October 19, 2005

By 

Adrian J. Andrews "Adrian J. Andrews" (Brighton, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anne Droyd and Century Lodge (Paperback)

An innocent little housing estate on the banks of a
"lodge" all of which are overlooked by a
hundred-year-old disused cotton mill. An unlikely
setting for a story which can only be described as a
young people's James Bond adventure.
Anne Doyd And Century Lodge is a riveting read from
cover to cover and addresses some issues that the
present day child in school will be familiar with;
bullying, smoking, and regretably in some instances,
neglect. There's some nostalgia here for the parents
too as Mr. Hadcroft tips his hat to classic TV shows
and music they will have grown up with.
The fantastic Bondesque gadgets are provided by the
central character, Anne, who as her name would suggest
is a humanoid robot.

Having become familiar with the three main characters,
Anne's introduction into their lives is the first of
several sinister scenes culminating in some wonderful
plotline twists to keep you on the edge of your seat.
The climax of the story would require some big budget
sets should the book ever be filmed.

Anne Droyd and Century Lodge is the first in a series
of books accessable to people of all ages and if this
first offering is anything to go by I am confident
that "robots" are the new "wizards" as, like Harry
Potter before her, Anne Droyd is set to take the the
world by storm.

Adrian J. Andrews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good story, November 3, 2006

By 

J. Maxon (Maple Grove, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Anne Droyd And Century Lodge (Paperback)

Anne Droyd And Century Lodge is a good tale for children and adults alike. It addresses some important issues of life in the form of an entertaining adventure.