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Title: Skellig
ISBN: 0440229081
Author:
David Almond
Publicate Date: 2001-09-11
Publish: 2001-09-11
List Price: $6.99
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Mass Market Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $3.26
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $0.56
Amazon Merchant Price: $6.99
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| Customer Review: |
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1: bittersweet
Some people may find some kind of message in these books, but I've read Clay and now Skellig by this author and the quantity of religion in those books is very annoying, plus I'm an atheist. Maybe religious people will appreciate more the book, anyway there are passages in which religion is not mentioned that are entertaining.
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2: Skellig
When Micheal moves into his new house he discovers a creature living in his garage. He does not know what to do or who he can trust to keep it a secret... And then he Met Mina. Mina is a home-schooled, artistic girl that quickly befriends Micheal and Skellig.
I guess you'll just have to read the book to find out what happens next. But, don't worry. It's ANYTHING but a chore. You'll love it, just like I did.
A great mystery for all ages.
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3: Pefectly Done
After reading Skellig, I wanted to go back and bump some of my previous YA reviews down a notch. This beautiful book is living, breathing work of art. A mixture of storytelling, setting, character and mystical brilliance. Michael finds the strange creature while exploring his family's new home, a dilapidated English country house. What is this sickly man-bird thing doing in the crumbling garage? Oh but the story is not just about the mysterious creature, interesting as it is. There is Mina, Michael's intelligent and creative home-schooled neighbor. Mina introduces Michael to the colors of a blackbird, the nesting habits of owls as well as the poetry of William Blake. They talk about mythology, evolution, pomegranates and Michael's fears about his new baby sister who is terribly ill and doesn't have a name yet. Together Michael and Mina help Skellig who bestows his thanks on the two by showing them something remarkable. The writing is captivating, concise and dreamy at the same time. No wasted or boring sentences anywhere. This book is listed for ages 9-12 who I think will enjoy it on one level but there is more to be taken from this little gem by high school students and adults.
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4: A gently powerful book
I have read this book to 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. As the reviews from children indicate, this book might be best as a read-to for they miss the subtlety in language and image: exactly where the book shines.
Almond is a master at exploring teen angst, perhaps his background as a Special Needs teacher helped here. The protagonist is a bundle of angst and he has no clue of how to deal with it. Almond puts his characters into a twilight realm, a world of half-closed eyes. Is it fantasy or imagination? Real or not? It is there the characters wind their way to a resolution.
The language is beautiful. The prose reminds me of Ray Bradbury's but on a more visceral level--an emotionality that speaks of the rawness and magic of youth.
The story abounds with wonderful symbolism (chicks, birds, flying, grounded, etc.) and sharp characterizations (Doctor Death, Skellig himself--a discarded, disused, dusty person(?)who, when in the sunlight, is beautiful) that make this book a supreme read-to for a class or parent. It is a treasure chest layered with mystery, the pain of longing, and the beauty of hoping. Of course children would miss it all on their own. This is a book through which a child needs to be led, like Alice through Wonderland, and it's a great joy to do so.
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5: The man that could fly
I do not recommend this book to people who like horror or mystery because it is not at all scary and has no mystery in it what so ever. I would recommend this book to someone who just wants something to read because this book is easy to read and is a very moving story. The story was very anticlimactic. Nothing was really left for the reader to try and figure out. This story was not boring, but it could have used some more excitement. Being a Sci-Fi genre, the plot was not supposed to be believable but while reading the story you can get into the characters lives and feel how they feel about their problems. Depending upon the title of the book, I may read another book by David Almond.
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