Skellig

Michael and his family have recently moved to a house that needs a lot of work, when his baby sister is born early. Meanwhile, he finds a man who seems little more than skin in bones in the broken down garage, and together he and his new friend Mina try to help him - but who is he, and what is he?

Some books are easy to read, review, and move on. This is not one of them. Skellig, though short, is one of those stories that lingers as you think about the characters and writing and events. Michael realistically feels a little bit of jealousy but also deeply cares about his sister. Mina is homeschooled and proud of it, and she's so sure of who she is that you can't help but love her. And Skellig... well, he's a bit of an enigma. He's a being show more that can't be explained in just a few words. In fact, I feel like I should really reread the book before I try to make any further pronouncements. I was left smiling and just a bit unsettled, in the sense that I couldn't quite wrap my brain around the story without thinking some more. show less

4Q, 4P. When I first began Skellig, I wasn't sure how much I would like this book. The more I read, the more I enjoyed this haunting and mysterious tale of a boy, Michael, who stumbles upon an "extraordinary" creature. Throughout the story, Michael struggles to make sense of the world around him, create a bond with a new friend, and emotionally deal with his baby sister's illness. The poetic quality of David Almond's writing drew me into the story. I admire how Almond crafted Michael's character, making him equally rough and rowdy, gentle and tender. It is rare and refreshing to see so many sides of young masculinity exposed in a male character. This book will easily capture the curiosity of many teens, both male and female, from a wide show more range of young adult ages. show less

After looking at the length of this book, and reading the synopsis, I thought it was just another run-of-the-mill fantasy story. However, I was amazed at how much story and feeling David Almond was able to discuss in the short duration of the novel. He effortlessly contrasted light and dark, all the time making his characters human and believable. I was especially surprised at his ability to intertwine the poetry of William Blake, as well as some Greek mythology and archaeology, into the realistic landscape of Michael’s life. Even though I thought the novel was exceptional, I had a bit of trouble getting into it. The beginning doesn’t do nearly enough of a job hooking the reader into the story—it felt as though I myself had fallen show more from the sky, like Skellig, and landed mid-thought into Michael’s life. It felt a bit disjointed. I would have liked more back-story about why Michael and his family had to move, why his sister was sick, and how Mina and her mother came to be in the state they were in. Despite these minor setbacks, Skellig is still an important novel about love and hope in the darkness. show less

This is the kind of children's book that is wasted on most children: certainly on the child that left a mangled copy in a back alley near our house. It should never be given to a class at school, but rather left on an obscure shelf, so that the deserving few can stumble across it. It took me less than two hours to read, and it touched me. MB 30-viii-2021

Ten-year-old Michael faces more than a child his age should bear, with his family’s move to a house in poor repair and his prematurely born sister’s fight for life. As Michael explores the garage, he encounters a strange creature who changes his life. Is he a man, some sort of beast, or maybe even an angel? Soon Michael’s new friend and neighbor, Mina, shares in the secret.

This is an unexpectedly touching story. Michael’s intense worry for his baby sister manifests in acts of kindness toward the creature in the garage. Old soul Mina is a source of comfort for Michael and understands him in a way that only another child can. The author’s audio narration captures the innocence and awe of these children. My only reservation about show more this story is the occasional cursing. It would have been out of place in the home I grew up in and among my elementary school classmates. show less

Michael's family has moved to a strange house with a neglected garden and a decrepit garage. He tries to convince himself that the long bus ride to his old school gives him "time to think about what was going on," like his sick baby sister, his worried parents, the precocious homeschooled girl next door, and the mysterious creature named Skellig he finds living in that decrepit garage. When the baby's health takes a turn for the worse and the Skellig's existence begins to look even more precarious, Michael must overcome his fears by relying on his own initiative and building trust in the people around him. A gentle adventure that is equal parts authentic and mystical, poetic and suspenseful, Michael's story lives at the intersection of show more truth and dreams, which, as his neighbor friend Mina says, "are always getting muddled."

My VOYA ratings: 5Q ("Hard to imagine it being better written") and 3P ("Will appeal with pushing").
SKELLIG is a beautifully crafted story, rich with poetic details and authentic dialogue. The plot unfolds gently in brief, well-paced chapters that gradually build suspense. The myriad reviews on readingmatters.co.uk (http://www.readingmatters.co.uk/book2.php?id=29) by youth aged 11-16 reveal how the book's interesting details (Chinese takeout, Mina's mannerisms, birds and William Blake) and relationships provide something appealing for just about everyone. However, many young readers were disappointed in the ending, often wanting to know more about the mysterious creature of the title. And there were conflicting assessments of the book's plot and pacing, with some wanting even more details and others demanding more action and adventure.

I had no idea what to expect from this book myself and was pleasantly surprised at the way it drew me in. I found it super easy to relate to Michael the narrator, and I adored the way Almond portrays Michael's relationships and interactions with his mates at school, and with his dad too. The magical threads of the story might not have been quite so compelling to me if they were not tied to the legacy of William Blake, an awesome surprise. Overall the reading experience reminded me of THE SECRET GARDEN (which I have not read in years, so the association could be askew) and SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES (if you swapped all things sinister with sad and sweet). show less

This book is eerie and unsettling, in a good way. It broaches topics that are often presented in a much more on the nose sort of way in children and YA novels. But in this book, they are danced with and approached with a certain amount of caution and reverence. The fact that the titular character is at once magical and all-too-real, frightening and comforting, of and above earthly things is deeply interesting and appropriate.

It is a book that stands at the middle of spectrums of life and death; natural and supernatural; fear and awe; Chinese food & beer and the sweetest nectar; and asks you what the difference between the two is if there even is one.

There are some aspects of this book that are less than it's interesting questions show more though. I found the truncation of sentences, chapters, and the surrounding plot to leave it feeling more skeletal and incomplete. Some of the repetitions of descriptions left me confused and unsure if threre was something I was missing. Overall though, very worth the read for all ages. show less