First of all I liked this novelization a lot. I already liked the episode this is based on and the novelization was even better in my opinion.

What made it better? The unique style/formatting. I have always enjoyed books that break the mold in the way it tells a story, and this is no different. In the first few chapters the book reads just like any old novelization, and then there was the sudden switch in style. A small minigame instead of a normal chapter. And then it goes on normally like until two chapters later there is a sentence that kind of falls out of the mold then continuing on as usual. Then another minigame. Then an emoji, a first hint to who the narrator is, and then the reveal. The Toymaker has been telling the whole story himself, turning it into a story and minigame combination that has been delightful to read, at one point even turning into a choose your own adventure book, that can even take you back to that one weird statement in earlier chapters, which makes the first statement make sense.

Now one might ask, there is that song in the episode, how did they solve that? Well, they put in a copyright lawyer to stop the toymaker from using it in this retelling of the story. 

One thing I really liked was getting some more input into the thought processes of some of the characters, and learning more about the last scene of the episode was also a lot of fun.

All in all a very enjoyable novelization of an already great episode.

Goss takes everything I loved about the televised story and dials it up to eleven, bringing his own charm and fun to the story in a way that would never work on the screen.

The extra elements of play that have been added are all extremely fun, the choose your own adventure section in the Toymaker's domain especially (I managed to get a bad ending at first). The added characterisation for The Toymaker as well is a highlight for me, you get to see how cruel and sadistic the character is, even moreso when coming from his own mind, and there's a bit more in there about the fates of people which are left offscreen, and of the backstory of some of the toys. There's a few other moments of charactersation for other people as well that works great here, a moment I wasn't a fan of on screen, Shirley's saying that 'absolutely no need' for an apology for Kate's ableism without the Zedex on, works a lot better for me here with the addition of four words: 'a little too brightly'.

Another thing that really worked was the formatting, they somehow manage to make the game of catch more exciting to read about than it is to watch, which is extremely impressive.

Overall a fun read, and a definite improvement to a TV story I already loved

I wish more Target books were like this. It does what this series of novelisations is supposed to: not just recreate the story but amplify it, add to and reimagine things we’ve seen on screen. Reframing the whole story as one the Toymaker is narrating is a stroke of genius, the incorporation of games, including the choose your own adventure, which James Goss folds throughout the story brings a sense of fun and unpredictability to the text.

It was a great story on television, but this is a rare case where the additional material and alterations to the story improve upon the original. More of these from James Goss please!

This perfectly demonstrates why the Target Novels have been at their best with Modern Who’s adaptations, this takes a story that I enjoyed but had mixed feelings on and makes it seem like The Giggle was a masterpiece all along. This was one of the most fun Target books I've come across with James Goss masterfully adapting The Giggle but putting his own crazy spin on it. Chapters are called Moves, some Moves feature their own little mini games and then partway through the Toymaker comes in and takes over as narrator for the story. A large portion of The Giggle is told from his own demented perspective, including going into detail on some of the nastier things he does to people in this story. The book even at one point turns into a choose your own path type book.

Some of the core issues I had with The Giggle is still present such as the dumb resolution to the mystery around the Fourteenth Doctor's face and the unanswered questions about his continued existence, though the book does offer a hint as to what may become of Fourteen once he's finished his rehabilitation, and in any case I was in such a good mood reading this book that it didn't bother me as much here.

Despite some glaring issues I've gone into, I do enjoy the 60th anniversary specials (TV and novels) and appreciate them for what they are. I know they've recently come under fire again following the return of Billie Piper, further emphasising how Russell can't seem to get over the golden days of his first run, but the Fourteenth Doctor does work and fulfilled his role well in carrying Doctor Who through it's 60th birthday so I still give them a thumbs up

The Fourteenth Doctor #06

'The Giggle' (2023) from Target Books.

A decent read, and I definitely applaud the unique format of it, with it being primarily from The Toymaker's point-of-view, including puzzles, and a choose-your-own-adventure segment. I just don't think I'm particularly over-the-moon with the story itself for a novelisation to be able to elevate it much higher and it's all a bit nauseating after a while. I appreciate how this adapts the material however and it gives me great hope for the adaptations of the Douglas Adams stories which are helmed by the same writer.

Glad to have concluded the short-lived run of the Fourteenth Doctor in prose. He's an interesting Doctor, but one that I feel is rather undercooked and I don't necessarily agree with all of the parameters of his happy ending but hey ho. Back onto Fifteen.