Kit's Wilderness - Softcover

Almond, David

Softcover

ISBN 10: 034094496X ISBN 13: 9780340944967

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books, 2008

Synopsis

Kit has just moved to Stoneygate with his family, to live with his ageing grandfather who is gradually succumbing to Alzheimer's Disease. Stoneygate is an insular place, scarred by its mining history - by the danger and death it has brought them. Where the coal mine used to be there is now a wilderness., Here Kit meets Askew, a surly and threatening figure who masterminds the game called Death, a frightening ritual of hypnotism; and Kit makes friends with Allie, the clever school troublemaker. As Kit struggles to adjust to his new life and the gradual failing of his beloved grandfather, these two friendships pull him towards a terrifying resolution. Haunted by ghosts of the past, Kit must confront death and - ultimately - life.A stunning novel from the author of the modern children's classic Skellig - winner of the Carnegie Medal and the Whitbread Children's Book Award., David Almond is also winner of the 2010 Hans Christian Andersen award.

About this title

Review:

When Kit moves to Stoneygate--a once thriving mining village haunted by a long-ago tragedy which killed 117 children--he is befriended by the wretched, sullen John Askew, a boy whose very soul has been fractured by his violent upbringing. As Kit's grieving grandfather begins to lose his grip on life, Kit is irresistibly drawn into a treacherous game played for the highest of stakes. Coming face to face with the ghosts of the wilderness--the space between the houses and the river where the ancient mine once flourished--this game ultimately tests his perceptions of life and death.

The award-winning author of Skellig, David Almond, has set this extraordinary novel on a canvas of bleak, uncompromising landscapes which perfectly echo the simmering tensions that drive the story. With its all consuming, chilling and surprisingly sensual depth Kit's Wilderness is packed tight with emotions that resonate on the page, making it a truly remarkable and unforgettable novel for older children. (Ages 11 and over).--Susan Harrison

Review:

Magic of a very different kind (Erica Wagner The Times)

An enthralling, multi-layered and complex story with a tension that builds and grips the reader. A wonder ful read. (The Bookseller)

A writer of subtle, page-turning and daring exactness. (The Times Educational Supplement)

Extremely good. Written with an acute sense of place plus a touch of the supernatural. (The Independent)

Sensitive and absorbing. (The Observer)

Has the same mesmerising quality of writing and a hauntingly intense plot. (The Sunday Times)

The book treats all the great universal themes of literature - love, loss, redemption, mortality - with elegant, tender simplicity, and it is bound to touch any reader of whatever age. (Raymond Seitz The Daily Telegraph)

Very touching. (The Daily Telegraph)

An essential read from an original voice. (The Daily Telegraph)

A haunting read for thoughtful readers. (The Daily Telegraph)

About this edition

• Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 034094496X
• ISBN 13: 9780340944967
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 240