Product Description

The debut novel from David Almond which took the literary world by storm.

'This is a lyrical, magical kind of book which can be read on different levels' Daily Mail

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8430 in Books
• Published on: 1998-08-11
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Michael can feel his sick baby sister's heart beating inside him, and as long as he can feel it he knows she is alive. But as her condition becomes life-threatening and the family faces the nightmare of an operation to save her life, Michael turns to his new friend Mina and the strange being, Skellig, who has been living beneath the crumbling garage at the family's new home.

In this most delicate and tender story of a young boy living in fear of death and coming to terms with life, you can almost touch the indefinable magic that Skellig--part owl, part human, part everything and nothing--brings to Michael's unsettled world.

With the gentle touch of an angel's breath, Almond, in his first novel for children, lets his characters think, feel and believe without overwhelming sentimentality. A dream of a book to touch even the hardest of hearts. --Susan Harrison

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
' . . . gripping, beautiful and brilliantly written . . . Everyone is raving about this unforgettable book.'

THE GUARDIAN
'Touched with a visionary intensity, this strange, hugely readable and life-affirming tale exercises every muscle of the imagination.'

Customer Reviews

Best book ever!
Michael just moved to a new house. His baby sister is dying. He is lonely and worried until he finds a creature in his dilapidated garage and befriends him. He wants to find out why he's there and it's not long before he finds out it wîll change his life forever...

This was my favourite book. It's good for any reader and especially people who like mystery. It's good for both boys and girls. Teh characters are easy to imagine. it's fun to read and once you get going you can't put it down!

It was the best book I've ever read and I would recommend it to anyone!

An enchanting read
I read this book to see if it would be an appropriate read for my seven year old daughter. I only intended to skim read it. However, from the very first page I was gripped. I read the entire book in one evening.

The story is very moving and it is beautifully written. It handles some tough issues very sensitively.

My daughter did read the book after me, and thoroughly enjoyed it too. A great read - for both adults and children.

A beautifully lyrical tale
I read this remarkable little book in the space of a day. It tells the story of a 10 year-old boy, Michael, who discovers a strange and decrepit being in the delapidated garage of his new house. This discovery coincides with the premature birth of his baby sister and so begins a testing period for Michael and his family, as the baby battles to hold on to life. Luckily, Michael has Mina, an extraordinary, home-educated young girl with a penchant for William Blake and an impressive knowledge of the natural - and supernatural - world. Together they coax Skellig out of hiding and as he gains stature so too does their hope for the baby's survival.

The story itself is touching, but for me it was the language the author employs which elevated this novel into the realms of something truly special. Simple, succint, and unpretentious, Almond's words lend Skellig a lyrical beauty that allows the reader to be swept along by Michael's story however fantastical it may seem.

Although I enjoyed it immensely, I can see Skellig dividing opinion among children: many will adore it for the reasons outlined above, while others may find it 'unbelievable'. That said, I would recommend it to readers of any age willing to suspend their disbelief for the sake of a wonderfully written novel.

Matt Pucci