Kit's Wilderness

The Watson family moves to Stoneygate, an old coal-mining town, to care for Kit’s recently widowed grandfather. When Kit meets John Askew, another boy whose family has both worked and died in the mines, Askew invites Kit to join him in playing a game called Death. As Kit’s grandfather tells him stories of the mine’s past and the history of the Watson family, Askew takes Kit into the mines, where the boys look to find the childhood ghosts of their long-gone ancestors. Written in haunting, lyrical prose, Kit’s Wilderness examines the bonds of family from one generation to the next, and explores how meaning and beauty can be revealed from the depths of darkness.

This story is beautifully written. David Almond's use of language, his characterisations, and his blend of magic and a hard realism rooted in rugged and historic Northumbria gives a reading experience unlike any other and second to none.

Kit moves to Stonygate, where his family hail from, and quickly feels integrated with the local community. A new boy, but an insider - and this is particularly recognised by local troublemaker, John Askew, who strikes up an unlikely - and initially an uneasy - friendship.

Askew encourages Kit to play a game called Death. A curious game of the type that people sometimes play to scare themselves, but this game is more intense. Some people cheat at the game, but some people - including Askew and Kit, see show more something very real and a touch chilling. There are ghosts of people lost in a pit disaster, and another strange ghost too. Kit sees the ghosts and he discovers his grandfather has too.

But his grandfather is not well, and increasingly suffers from senior moments, or being "off with the fairies". Askew also lands himself in trouble (which he is well used to) and then vanishes.

There are so many threads in this story that weave together to make something that is very beautiful. Kit struggles and grows and learns. There is friendship and love and courage here, and themes of life and death all blended in a manner that is very typical of David Almond, but pretty much without parallel among other children's/young adult's authors.

This story works on many levels, and even though its unlikely anyone will understand all the themes the Author intended for this work, it is likely that anyone will understand some and enjoy it. However, I have to add a warning that I always write for David Almond's books: These are not heavy plot driven adventure stories. These are quieter and more reflective works. Not everyone will enjoy them, although I wish they would!

But as long as you are not looking for the next Alex Rider adventure. As long as you are happy to read a story that is ultimately about a boy, Kit, and not about saving the world from alien invasion - this book is one I would thoroughly recommend. show less

in a sentence: A story based journey with Kit Watson through the semi-dream/semi-reality experience in his family's hometown during his Grandfather's final times.

The story begins simply enough, with the coming home again to support a Grandfather during the loss of his Grandmother. We journey with Kit as he starts a new school, meets new people, and uncovers a plethora of family history within this small town that goes back hundreds of years. There is a genuine goodness in Kit, and a strong desire to know more that draws the reader to him. The elements in the book range from dark to light, fantasy to reality, and everywhere in between. Emotions run high in both the stories that Kit writes and in his real life relationships with the show more town.

The blending of reality and fantasy is incredible. The reader becomes blurred in what is really happening and what is not, and therefore puts us right in Kit's shoes. The comic relief of Allie is welcome in this otherwise heavy novel, and is tastefully done. The reader's heart breaks for John Askew and his dark and troubled past. The plot moves swiftly, but takes time to truly develop emotions and situations in a respectful way. The reader is kept in the dark with Kit, and I found myself having "ah-ha" moments at the same time as intended - nothing was revealed a moment too soon. It was gutsy to put a book of this intensity and darkness out there to a young adult audience, but it is done so respectfully and honestly and so genuine. The challenge of blending reality with fantasy is met in this novel, and takes it to a truly higher level of literature. show less

A complex tale of grandparents and grandchildren; good kids and not so good kids; the allure of danger and fear; ghosts of the past; and the nature of reality all blended together into one, fairly short novel.
Kit's family moves to Stonygate after his grandmother's death. He forms a close bond with his grandfather, an old mine worker from the town's early days. As his grandfather tells Kit stories from the past, Kit begins to think he is seeing ghosts of children who died long ago. Meanwhile, he has joined a group of kids from school who play a fearful ritualistic game, in which they go into an abandoned mine pit and sit in a circle around a knife. The knife is spun, and whoever it is pointing to when it stops - that person must "die." show more The death is figurative, but frightening and disturbing all the same. The two key players are John Askew, who leads the game and comes from a not-so-good family, and Allie, a precocious aspiring actress, who views it all as practice for the great acting rolls she will have in her future. Then, (if that's not enough), when Kit begins to write a story about a prehistoric family for a school assignment, he begins to see characters from his story loitering around as well.
Full of the sorts of themes and symbolism that will make a high school English teacher just salivate with excitement, it provides an entertaining and somewhat creepy tale even for those (like myself) who probably missed a fair amount of the deeper message. show less

Yes, five stars... yes, everyone should read it. It's certainly not just for fans of Horror, or of Historical Fiction, though aspects of it resemble works in those genres. It's a great read about families of different shapes and flavors, families going through hard times. There's a lot of depth a young reader will miss the first time through. The language and styling is effortlessly beautiful and original.

I read it one afternoon, and much to my surprise I actually *enjoyed* it (I expected only to admire it, and to give it four star review).

I may just read it again someday, though I did read carefully and I don't think I missed anything... it's just that rich & satisfying....

his is such a powerful story that is spellbinding. Christopher Watson,Kit, moves back to live in Stoneygate with his parents after the death of his paternal grandmother to a place where the roots of his family run deep. There he finds that he has a natural affinity not only with his grandfather, but also the other ancient rooted families and the very earth itself.

There is a predominant theme of healing in this story. Newcomer Kit forms an unlikely alliance with John Askew, regarded my many as a lout and largely feared. Kit joins Askew's 'clique', made up of kids from the old local mining families, and plays Askew's game called Death. It becomes clear that this game is a device which Askew uses to identify those who can see the ghosts show more who occupy the Wilderness and those who merely pretend. Kit can see them as can his grandfather. Many of the old miners who worked in the pit can see them. Askew can see them, but he lives in a family which struggles with unemployment and drunkenness. Suspended from school and floundering without the moral support he needs, Askew is seduced by the ghosts into an emotional darkness.

Askew claims that he has been waiting for Kit to appear all his life and sees him as a like minded individual but Kit is able to lead Askew out of darkness and back to a new beginning through the thousands of years and the hundreds of feet of earth which overburden them both, out of the old drift mine and back into the morning light. Kit's grandfather is a natural story teller passing on verbally the many local legends. Kit is also a natural storyteller and finds that through his writings is able to bring life to long dead peoples thus showing that nobody truly dies as long as there is someone to remember them.

This is a book that would certainly appeal to the Young Adult readers as it is well written with an easy to understand vocabulary with plenty of interwoven threads but it should also appeal to older readers as it also has a remarkable depth about it. A quick, easy and very enjoyable read. show less

Kit's family returns to rural England, mining country, to care for his grandfather, a former pit coal miner. Kit connects with the spirits (?) of the child workers who died over the centuries in mine accidents. Kit is an imaginative writer, at first writing the old stories his grandfather tells then, with the encouragement of his teacher, feeling the tale of ancient cave peoples come alive in his thoughts. Two other teens play a major role in this story: Allie, energetic young actress-wanna-be looking for experiences, and Askew, vivid artist but otherwise sullen loner who skips school.
At first I was afraid this would be another of the vampire/evil stories, and the teens were certainly following some ancient impulses. Yet the strength of show more the Kit pulls the tale in a new direction, shows how there is goodness deep inside even the most troubled of us, how much need there is for a hand to reach out in friendship.
Strongly recommend show less