An Absolutely Catastrophic Trip to the Zoo

4 hrs. 3 min.

Language Russian

Author Joël Dicker

Narrator Ksenia Bolshakova

Description

A mysterious crime occurs at a small school, and its investigation is secretly carried out by the children—keeping it hidden from their parents.

Disasters never come singly. Before the terrible trip of the students to the zoo, a whole chain of troubles began—starting with flooding at a small school for special children. Someone plugged the sink drains with plasticine and left the taps open all weekend, which led to the school being shut down and the students being transferred to a nearby one. But the children can’t accept it and start their own secret investigation, suspecting that adults with dirty intentions are involved. The whole process is led by a girl named Josephine, who is also the narrator of the story: her parents threatened to deprive her of sweets if she didn’t tell them the truth. Unexpected plot twists keep readers on edge all the way to the end.

Famous writer Joël Dicker, awarded the Grand Prix of the Académie Française and the Goncourt Prize for high school students, author of worldwide bestsellers “The Truth About Harry Quebert,” “The Disappearance of Stephanie Mailer,” and “The Dark Side of the Heart,” surprised readers by writing a novel where children solve adult problems. He dedicated it to “all readers aged 7 to 120.” In the first week after publication, 54,000 copies were sold.