Malamander by Thomas Taylor, reviewed by Dawn Finch

First the blurb…

Nobody visits Eerie-on-Sea in the winter. Especially not when darkness falls and the wind howls around Maw Rocks and the wreck of the battleship Leviathan, where even now some swear they have seen the unctuous malamander creep…

Herbert Lemon, Lost-and-Founder at the Grand Nautilus Hotel, knows that returning lost things to their rightful owners is not easy – especially when the lost thing is not a thing at all, but a girl. No one knows what happened to Violet Parma’s parents twelve years ago, and when she engages Herbie to help her find them, the pair discover that their disappearance might have something to do with the legendary sea-monster, the Malamander. Eerie-on-Sea has always been a mysteriously chilling place, where strange stories seem to wash up. And it just got stranger...

First off, let me get the gushing out of the way because this book is BRILLIANT! I know people say “I couldn’t put it down,” all the time, but I REALLY COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN.

Okay, I’ll calm down now.

Thomas Taylor has such a wonderful way with words and right from the start we feel that Eerie-On-Sea is a very real place. In fact, I completely believe Taylor when he says that we have “probably been to Eerie-On-Sea without ever knowing it.” This means Eerie-On-Sea feels like such a familiar place that we anything that happens there seems possible, and there are some very strange and mysterious things happening.

The characterisation is particularly strong in the novel, and all of the characters are compelling and engaging. Strange things are afoot, and with each punchy chapter (which all have great chapter headings) we creep closer and closer to finding out what’s really going on.

Brilliantly illustrated throughout by Taylor himself (and with a cracking cover by George Ermos) the book is a physically beautiful object too and one that any child would be happy to carry about like a treasure. Malamander is one of those books I loved in school. It is the kind of book I’d have on my desk and the kids would be looking forward to me reading the next chapter so much, that it would repeatedly disappear from my desk. This would read aloud so well, and I was delighted to see that Sony has snapped up the movie rights to the novel in an eight-way bidding war.

The story gently rocks along like a rising tide that creeps up on you, and then sweeps you away. We’re all going to be spending a lot more time in Eerie-On-Sea, and I’ve got my bucket and spade ready!

Malamander by Thomas Taylor is out now from Walker Books

Dawn Finch is a children’s writer and librarian.

@dawnafinch

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Magical Kingdom of Birds, by Anne Booth. Reviewed by Saviour Pirotta

I'm a big fan of Anne Booth's Refuge, a Christmas picture book that highlights the refugee aspect of the classic nativity story and I have given copies as Christmas presents to quite a few kids. Some of those kids are now old enough to tackle stories on their own, so Anne's new series will come in very handy for birthdays and other gift-giving opportunities.

Magical Kingdom of Birds, aimed at 7 to 9 year olds, has a very cute premise. Maya has inherited a magical colouring in book from her late mother. When she tries to colour in one of the pictures, she falls into the book, landing in the magical kingdom of birds and fairies. Here she becomes 'the Keeper of the Book' whose coming has been foretold.

Maya needs sticks to help her walk and this gives her confidence issues. The magical adventures in the enchanted kingdom help her prove to herself that she is brave and that, if she believes in herself, she can achieve great things despite her disability.

In the first book, The Sleepy Hummingbirds, Maya befriends a fairy princess called Willow whose evil Lord Astor has usurped the throne of the magical kingdom. The despot is planning to enslave all the singing birds. Can Maya and Willow, along with Patch the magpie, retrieve the princess's  enchanted cloak of feathers from his castle and save the birds?

In the second book, The Ice Swans, Lord Astor is threatening to freeze the kingdom of birds unless he is accepted as king. He has already frozen Swan Lake and turned the beautiful swans
into statues. Maya, Willow and Patch must outwit him and his fairy guards once again to rescue the birds and the kingdom.

These short books are very well written, with pacy chapters and lots of direct speech, which helps move the plot.  Kids will love them. They're a feathery delight. The b&w illustrations by Rosie Butcher add to the richness. As a bonus, there is a fact file at the end with info about the real-life birds that inspired the stories. And there's a colouring in page too. Who knows what will happen if you colour it in?


Saviour Pirotta's new picture book, The Unicorn Prince, is illustrated by Jane Ray. It was an editor's choice in The Guardian and The Bookseller.  His novel Mark of the Cyclops, an Ancient Greek Adventure has recently won the North Somerset Teacher's Book Award for quality fiction. Follow him on twitter @spirotta.








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STRANGE EVIL by Jane Gaskell. Reviewed by Ann Turnbull.

    Strange Evil was written by fourteen-year-old Jane Gaskell in 1955 and published by Hutchinson two years later.

    My own copy of this book has accompanied me from one home to another throughout most of my life. It was given to me by my parents on my fourteenth birthday, along with a second-hand typewriter and a ream of foolscap, in recognition of my determination to become a writer.

    Imagine how inspiring it was, at fourteen, to be given a published hardback book written by a girl of my own age! And the book was amazing: a fantasy of travel between two worlds, of dangerous and beautiful fairies, and an epic struggle for survival. In my teens I read it many times, but until recently I had not re-read it for more than fifty years - though it has remained vivid in my memory.

    So how did it measure up? Well, I could see at once why Hutchinson had felt they must publish it. In doing so they decided to leave the 'youthful sparkle' of Jane's writing largely unchanged. And sparkle it does! Jane had not only the imagination but the verbal power to bring her alien world and characters to life.

    It's a typical fantasy story line: a beautiful unspoilt world - lush vegetation, fairy beings, satyrs and homely rustic folk - erupts into warfare. But the plot is complex, cleverly worked out, and you don't see what is coming. The best thing about the story is that Jane chose to tell it through the eyes of a mortal woman, Judith, who lives in a flat in central London and works as an artist's model. This is where the story begins and where the reader - along with Judith - is gradually drawn in.

    Jane's writing at its best is powerfully visual, at its worst overwritten with strings of adjectives and adverbs and long, repetitive sentences. At times it does feel juvenile - especially where a love story thread is involved. The middle of the book is long, with far too much description and not enough action (though there is a certain cumulative impact, all the same.) But the beginning is well-written and well-paced - and the last few chapters have extraordinary power, with a finale that is impossible to guess.

    Although Jane Gaskell went on to write a series of fantasy novels, she seems to have stopped writing novels after about 1977. According to sources on the internet, she has also worked as a journalist, a screenwriter and a professional astrologer.

    Strange Evil and Jane Gaskell's other books are available on the internet - some with gorgeous covers!


www.annturnbull.com




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The Girl Who Drank The Moon, by Kelly Barnhill, reviewed by Sarah Hammond

I intended to review another book for my post today, but once I read the first pages of The Girl Who Drank The Moon, I was side-tracked. Perhaps entranced. 

This fast paced, middle grade fantasy deftly weaves together multiple storylines as a girl brimful of moonlight and magic, an ailing witch, a scar-faced carpenter, a swamp monster poet, a madwoman and a tiny dragon are pit against a magician who cultivates and feeds on sorrow. By the time I finished reading, I felt as if I, too, had swallowed a little starlight. 

Each year, in order to appease the Witch, the youngest baby in the Protectorate is left for her in the forest by the Elders. ‘Sacrifice one or sacrifice all’ say the sorrowful people. Or so they have been led to believe. In fact, the Elders encourage this practice to keep their people frightened, sad and compliant. Yet, this, we learn, is not the full story either. For there is a Witch in the woods, but she is perplexed by the annual baby-leaving rituals. Xan is kind and chooses not to judge. Rather, she takes the abandoned babies and gives them to caring families on the other side of the forest, sustaining them en route with starlight. 

One day, however, Xan makes a mistake. Instead of feeding the latest baby starlight, she feeds her moonlight. “There is magic in starlight, of course. This is well known. Moonlight, however. That is a different story. Moonlight is magic. Ask anyone you know.” 

Xan calls the 'enmagicked' baby Luna, decides to keep her and become her grandmother. Yet as Luna approaches her thirteenth birthday, when her magic will flow fully, other forces are at work. A carpenter enters the forest to hunt the Witch and stop the sacrifices. Luna’s mother, driven mad with grief, escapes to find her daughter. Xan goes to rescue the latest abandoned child. Her friends, the swamp monster and tiny dragon, follow Xan, worried about her deteriorating health. Fast-moving to the end, sorrow is defeated and love triumphs.

At one level, this is a gripping story with well-developed, memorable characters. Traditional fairytale motifs are woven inventively into the plot. Yet at another level, the poetic language, the hopeful and wise themes threading through the story hint at something deeper. Madness unlocks a way of discovering nuggets of magic in the world. One generation fills the next with magic as their own gently dwindles. Beyond death, there is nothing to fear. Beyond magic, there exists a oneness from the beginning of the world.

The Girl Who Drank The Moon won the Newbery Medal, 2017.

www.sarahhammond.org

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The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, reviewed by Sarah Hammond

The One and Only Ivan tells the story of Ivan, a silverback gorilla, who was taken from the wild as an infant to live in captivity in America. It is an intelligent, poignant middle grade fantasy told from Ivan's perspective. The story is heartbreaking and heartwarming by turns.  

When we first meet him, Ivan has been living in a cage in the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade for the last 27 years. He does not seem to remember or miss his life in the jungle. He only has a few friends around him: Stella the elephant-next-door who performs tricks for the crowds; and Bob, a stray dog who sneaks in to see Ivan at night and to sleep on his belly. Ivan occupies his days with his TV and his ‘artwork’, which is sold at the mall gift shop.

One day, to address the falling popularity of the animals and low visitor numbers, a newcomer is brought to the mall: a baby elephant called Ruby. Memories of home are very raw for this little elephant, and Ruby has not yet acclimatised to the human world. In helping her, and in addressing the changes that she brings, Ivan finds himself reassessing his own captivity, too. 

The story is told by Ivan using deceptively simple words and short chapters. As he says, "Humans waste words. They toss them like banana peels and leave them to rot." Long after reading this book, many sentences and images — poignant and poetic in their understatement — stay with me still. We learn that Ivan is patient and thoughtful and resilient and resourceful. Slowly, we discover his harrowing past. A reader warning is due here: it would be difficult to finish this book with a dry eye, and many questions are raised about the treatment of animals in captivity. 

However, the overall message of the book is not downbeat. A strong thread of humanity and tenderness runs through the story. Although Ivan's worldview anchors the book, many other characters contribute to this growing sense of kindness: Stella, the stoic and maternal elephant; the not-as-tough-as-he-seems dog, Bob; sensitive and intuitive Julia who understands Ivan's paintings; lively, questioning, and loving baby Ruby; and George, the caring caretaker of the mall. As Ivan seeks to protect and rescue Ruby from her difficult new environment, he strengthens enough to confront his own buried memories and to rescue his own identity as a silverback in all its glory. 

The author was inspired to write The One and Only Ivan by the story of a real gorilla of the same name who was captured from (what is now) the Democratic Republic of the Congo as an infant, and who lived in a domestic home in America until he became unmanageable. Then he, too, lived alone in a cage for almost three decades without seeing another gorilla in a circus-themed mall in Washington state. Eventually, as attitudes towards animal welfare and understanding of primate needs developed, his plight was given publicity by a feature in the National Geographic, called 'The Urban Gorilla'. This article triggered a public outcry and Ivan eventually found a home in Zoo Atlanta in 1994. There, he became a celebrity, living with the largest group of captive western lowland gorillas in the US. This Ivan was also renowned for his paintings. He died when he was 50 years old. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 
Katherine Applegate won the 2013 Newbery Medal for The One and Only Ivan. She has written many books including the Roscoe Riley Rules chapter book series and the picture book The Buffalo Storm. Her novel Home of the Brave was a School Library Best Book of the Year and won both the Golden Kite Award and the Josette Frank Award for best children's fiction. She wrote the bestselling series Animorphs with her husband, Michael Grant. She lives in Northern California with her husband and their two children.You can find out more about her on her website: www.katherineapplegate.com

ABOUT THE REVIEWER:

Sarah Hammond is a writer for young people. She has published a picture book, Mine! (Parragon), and a teen novel, The Night Sky in my Head (OUP), which was short-listed for four awards in the UK. She is a Brit abroad, now living happily in Chicago, with strong ties to the UK which regularly pull her back across the Pond. 

You can find her online at: 

Web: www.sarahhammond.org

Facebook: SarahHammondAuthorPage

Twitter: @SarahHammond9 

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The Girl of Ink & Stars, by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, reviewed by Pippa Goodhart

This, as you can see, is a handsomely intriguing book from the off.  It demonstrates the power of a really strong cover because it caught my attention amongst the mass of new covers on display in shops and online, and it’s clearly attracted the attention of many others.  This book has been Waterstones Book of the Month, and has become a best seller in a way that few debut novels do. 

I’ll admit a personal reason for curiosity about this book too.  Kiran Millwood Hargrave acted in a play at university with one of my daughters, and I had a feeling that somebody who could ‘live’ a story as well as she did then would have the capacity to create story well too. 

I was right.

This is a story told in the first person by young Isabella, living on an island where myth and politics clash, throwing her into an action-packed adventure of danger and daring and wonder … from which not everybody returns happily ever after.  Underground tunnels, demons and giant predatory beasts, magical maps and materials, fire and water, and misunderstanding people all add-up to excitement and a touch of romance.  The final stages of this story certainly have the reader gobbling the text up to find out how things will end.

I have some quibbles, and I am aware that they may be quibbles from a hyper-critical adult and of a sort which wouldn’t bother the young reader this book is really intended for.  There’s a large cast of characters with unfamiliar names along with numerous place names, and I found it hard to keep track of them all.  I felt that continuity didn’t always work.  Isa empties her satchel, then a couple of pages later empties her satchel again; that sort of thing.  But what most annoyed me was that the maps (hooray, I love maps!) provided on the in-turned flap of back and front covers didn’t fit with what we are told in the narrative.  The tunnel is in the shape of a ‘knot’ and then ‘coils like a shell’, and yet neither of those things is evident on the map.   And so on.  So I’d advise not trying to follow routes on the maps as you read, but to regard them as decoration!

But who can resist a heroine who sets out on an adventure with a chicken … and the chicken is still there at the end?!  There’s some wonderful writing in this.  I, for one, look forward to seeing what Kiran Millwood Hargrave writes next.

Pippa Goodhart

www.pippagoodhart.co.uk

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THE NOWHERE EMPORIUM by Ross MacKenzie: reviewed by Gillian Philip

Every town has at least one: that little row of shops that you barely even look at, that you almost forget about till you need a pint of milk late on a Monday. You always think of them behind a haze of grey drizzle – so imagine if you were driving by one day and one of those shops, though built of midnight-black bricks, was suddenly glittering and sparkling in the light. What's more, it's the one that wasn't there before. Because weren't there four shops there yesterday? So how come there are now five?

Ross MacKenzie has created a delicious and fantastical concept in his Nowhere Emporium, a shop that travels through space and time and (much like that other famous Time Machine) is a lot bigger on the inside. In fact, since it's powered by pure imagination, this particular store interior would appear to be limitless. 'Bring Your Imagination!' demands the invitation – presented in glittering fireworks in the sky above the shop – and that is the only price of admission: a little piece of each customer's imagination, and one that will eventually grow back. So where's the harm?

Daniel Holmes isn't sure. An orphan who stumbles upon the Emporium while being chased by bullies from the children's home, he is immediately entranced by both the shop and its owner, the mysterious Lucien Silver. When Silver offers him a job, he barely hesitates; there's no competition between a magical travelling emporium and his grim and loveless life in Glasgow.

All the same, he's the kind of boy who asks questions. Lucien Silver has taken him on (a little reluctantly) because Daniel clearly has gifts, among them a vivid and extensive imagination. So Daniel is dangerously curious about the potential of the shop – where a new room is created for every flight of imagination in a magical book – and about the price required to keep it in existence. Who is Lucien Silver running from? Why is he so afraid, he simply vanishes into thin air one day? And who is the girl who haunts the rooms of the Emporium like a ghost?

There's an abundance of mystery, excitement and magic as Daniel hunts for the answers. Any young hero worth his salt is going to make a few mistakes along the way, and Daniel's errors of judgement have quite terrifying consequences – but there's never any doubt he has the nerve and the determination to see the adventure through. Even when the Emporium itself becomes a crumbling, deadly trap...

In The Nowhere Emporium, Ross MacKenzie provides everything it takes to keep a young reader enthralled – magic, mystery, an intrepid hero, his colourful allies, and – best of all – a chilling and lethal villain. A magnificent cover by Manuel Sumberac is bound to entice the reader: once you're through that cut-out entrance, as with the magical gates of the Emporium itself, there are wonders enough to fire any imagination.

I can't help giving that ordinary little arcade of shops a second glance on my way home, though. After all, it's not as if I'd remember...


The Nowhere Emporium by Ross MacKenzie; Kelpies, £6.99

www.gillianphilip.com



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DARKMOUTH by Shane Hegarty: reviewed by Gillian Philip

He's a young apprentice in a world of dark magic, he's destined to battle world-threatening monsters, and he's not very good at it.

It's a tale-as-old-as-time, and that's as it should be. One of my favourite things in this world (and all the others) is reworked legends, and Shane Hegarty's twist on the fabulous creatures of myth is as quirky and smart and funny as you could wish.

Finn (who doesn't have a surname – yet) lives in the Blighted Village of Darkmouth, where he and his father - Hugo the Great – are just about tolerated by the inhabitants. The village itself is a kind of nightmare combination of insular rural small-town and Buffy's Sunnydale; people with any sense can't wait to leave, and that includes the local police sergeant.

For many generations, Finn's family of Legend Hunters has protected Darkmouth and the world beyond it from the monsters – the Legends – who have a habit of slipping through the barrier between the worlds. An occasional car or boat might get crushed, but the locals can live with that so long as the minotaurs, basilisks and manticores are stopped in their tracks.

Luckily, Dad Hugo is enormously good at his job: he's practically a legend himself. This is galling for poor Finn, who has to live with the stories of his father's prowess (usually told by his father) while being thoroughly incompetent himself. All Finn wants, really, is to leave Darkmouth and become a vet. He's a sweet, clumsy but very brave young hero, and enormously relatable for any young reader.

Not only is Finn expected to graduate to full-fledged Legend Hunter like yesterday; he discovers that his father will shortly be promoted to the governing body of their order, and will be leaving Darkmouth under Finn's sole protection. Of course this has to happen just as a major Legend incursion is threatened. And Finn has to deal not just with that, but with bullies, school, and intriguing newcomer Emmie – who seems to know more about Darkmouth than she's letting on.

Hegarty sets a cracking pace, but the increasing tension and the sometimes brutal scares are nicely offset by a dry and punchy humour. Stunning illustrations by James de la Rue are a gorgeous and atmospheric enhancement to the story. It's the first book in a series, and it ends on something of a cliffhanger – but not without some satisfactory resolution to the first episode.

Any child who loved Beast Quest will be thrilled to graduate to this dark, funny and complex tale of monsters and mayhem; it will enchant lovers of myth, legend and a rattling good story. I gulped it down – appropriately enough – in a single bite.


Darkmouth by Shane Hegarty: Harper Collins £6.99

www.gillianphilip.com

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Lilliput, by Sam Gayton. Reviewed by Sarah Hammond (and her two nieces)

‘Have you heard of the tale that’s short and tall? There’s an island in the world where everything is small!’ 

Lilliput is a gem of a story for middle grade readers. In this sequel to Gulliver’s Travels, we learn that Gulliver returned to Lilliput to kidnap one of its inhabitants, Lily, and brought her back to London to prove that his incredible travel tales were true. However, Lily does not like this plan one jot. She just wants to go home.

We join the story as Lily, imprisoned in Gulliver’s attic room, embarks on Escape Plan 34.  It is hard to break free when you are only three inches tall and trapped in a birdcage, yet Lily is feisty and will never give up. Her adventures set her against Gulliver and his misplaced ideas, against poisonous spiders and terrifying cats and, worst of all, against Gulliver's odious landlord, a wicked clock maker whose arrival is preempted by an overture of stink. And Lily, who measures her life in moons not years, worries that her time is slipping through her fingers. 

All is not lost as Lily finds a colourful band of allies. She meets a gigantic Spanish chocolatier and bon viveur who talks in rhyme, a multilingual parrot called Señor Chitchat, and also an unexpected but faithful friend whose eyes speak his truth. Together, they come up with another escape plan. 

As we follow this tiny person through the story, we see her giant world in all its wonderful, sensory, and sometimes frightening glory. One of my favourite scenes finds Lily crawling amongst the inner workings of a clock, which is “as big as a cathedral, as complicated as a steam engine, as busy as a bee’s nest”. Pete Williamson’s evocative illustrations in my version of Lilliput added much to the atmosphere of the story, too.

The originality of the characters, plot-turns and sparkling ideas set this book apart for me. Readers are led through many good old-fashioned rambunctious adventures and high jinks — Lily travels down chimneys, falls into muddy puddles and gets stuck in smelly socks — yet Gayton also gently punctuates his story with reminders of deeper truths. Are all cages made of metal bars? Are goodbyes happy or sad? And what of the Lilliputian custom of paying respect to their ‘Ender’ who made their world and dwells in the time before time? They remember him because they want “to remind ourselves: we all came from kindness. We all sprang from the same place. The world is a gift.”

This spirited storytelling stays with me still. But what was the verdict of some younger readers? 

“Lilliput is a great book because it has an amazing storyline and it is very intriguing. You will never want to put the book down. I didn't anyway! How many stars would I rate it?  4 and 1/2 out of 5! It would be a great book to read if you love adventure!” (My 11 year old niece)

“It was a wonderful story. I loved all the characters, especially the wicked clock maker because he was creepy. I liked the fact that Gulliver stole the little girl because he wanted proof that his tales were true. I loved it when she […edited to avoid plot spoiler as to how the book ends!] like Thumbelina.” (My 8 year old niece)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sam Gayton is an author and playwright who completed the Writing for Young People MA at Bath Spa University in England. Lilliput is his second book. When he’s not writing, he likes playing old board games, strumming his guitar, and joining as many rock bands as possible (currently at seven). He lives in the UK by the seaside. 

You can find him online at:

web: www.samgayton.com
facebook: SamGaytonChildrensAuthor

twitter: @sam_gayton

ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Sarah Hammond is an author. She has published a picture book for very small        people and teen fiction too. She is a Brit abroad, now living happily in Chicago, with strong ties to the UK which regularly pull her back across the Pond.

You can find her online at:

web: www.sarahhammond.org

facebook: SarahHammondAuthorPage

twitter: @SarahHammond9

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THE FEW by Cathy McSporran; reviewed by Gillian Philip

It's a little known fact (and new to me) that Winston Churchill was a bit of an occultist who consulted mediums and considered himself psychic. His belief in witches – and the rumour that he consulted them during the war – was the spark for Cathy McSporran's first Young Adult novel, The Few.

Maggie, the heroine of the story, is working with the Women's Land Army in the south of England – not just to help with the war effort, but to help her deal with her grief: Maggie and her younger brother witnessed their father's death at Dunkirk, in an incident that also uncovered the pair's latent supernatural talents. Maggie and Colin are soon recruited into a coven of young witches working for the British government; taken to London, they discover that their most dangerous enemies are a group of German teenagers with powers that mirror their own. These Gothi become even more lethal when one of their number succeeds in channelling the ancient Aryan goddess Freya.

Much of the story takes place under the (sometimes literal) shadow of the Battle of Britain, so the supernatural storyline is complemented by some thrilling air battles, as well as a touching romance between Maggie and one of the Spitfire pilots, Michal.

McSporran effectively weaves together history, real and fictional characters, and the mythologies of Northern Europe to create a spellbinding story that rarely lets up its pace. The tangled web of relationships – encompassing betrayal as well as fierce loyalty and dedication – feels real, and packs a considerable emotional punch by the conclusion. The Few is the first book in a series, and succeeds in giving the reader both a satisfying ending and an enticing hint of more adventures to come.

It can be a tough call to blend real history with mythic fantasy, but McSporran pulls it off with flair. The book itself isn't well served by its cover, but if you look beyond that you'll find a ripping fantasy that combines high-stakes world peril with emotional strength and subtlety.


The Few by Cathy McSporran; published by Freight Books RRP £8.99

www.gillianphilip.com




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Cuckoo Song by Frances Hardinge - review by Dawn Finch

First the blurb….
When Triss wakes up after an accident, she knows that something is very wrong. She is insatiably hungry; her sister seems scared of her and her parents whisper behind closed doors. She looks through her diary to try to remember, but the pages have been ripped out.
Soon Triss discovers that what happened to her is more strange and terrible than she could ever have imagined, and that she is quite literally not herself. In a quest find the truth she must travel into the terrifying Underbelly of the city to meet a twisted architect who has dark designs on her family - before it's too late . . .

I was extremely pleased to see this book make it to the shortlist of the Carnegie Award 2015 as I had been looking forward to reading it greatly. One of the things that I enjoy most about Hardinge’s work is that she flamboyantly ignores the current pressure to avoid detailed descriptions. Her books are lavish and descriptive and this allows the reader to be completely absorbed into Hardinge’s extraordinary worlds.

Cuckoo Song is no exception, and I think it is her finest work to date. The book tells the story of a young girl (Triss) who wakes after some kind of mysterious accident. She knows that something is wrong, and something is very different, but she is unable to pin down exactly what has happened. Her sister fears and hates her, and her family are not quite telling everything. Triss is disturbed and upset by this, and when she weeps, she weeps cobwebs…..

This is the start of a rollercoaster adventure through a wild landscape that exists on the edge of the world that others consider to be real.

In a time of fashionable books that are set firmly in the real world, or books of spare content and simplicity, Cuckoo Song feels like a brave book. Its depth and intricacy feel more akin to quality fantasy fiction of the early 20th Century than the 21st, and that’s no bad thing. The imagined world feels close and personal here, and it quickly hooks you and pulls you in. I read it in one sitting as I could not bring myself to put it down. When you come up for air, you feel as if you've been somewhere else, somewhere beyond the rules of what is possible. Days after reading this you are still looking at the world as if something is not quite right with it. There are deliciously chilling moments in this book that remain with you long after you finish it (I can almost still hear the cold china-scrape of the dolls as they move, and see the blue flicker of the cinema screen.....)

Whilst reading this I realised that the book works beautifully when read aloud, and this is something that is hard to find. Not all books make good telling tales, but Cuckoo Song does. The writing is that of a true storyteller, and the world needs more storytellers.

Cuckoo Song by Frances Hardinge is published by Macmillan Children's Books
Isbn - 0330519735
www.franceshardinge.com

Review by Dawn Finch - author of Brotherhood of Shades
www.dawnfinch.com



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