Poem about Bruegel's painting of the boy's fall. Its strength as a novel is in its subtlety, its sideways angles - the characters several times invoke the flight of Icarus, and in fact there are moments when the story calls to mind W. It’s a short book so it’s a perfect read if you want something quick and engrossing, but with a story that will stay with you for a long time.His is a book about magic and strange beings, about the relationship between the everyday and the mystical, about premature babies and William BlakeĪnd owls and angels. It’s great to see a book with such a warm family bond, even when Michael’s parents sometimes seem distant or focused on his little sister while she fights through her health issues. Skellig is a story of family, love, imagination, and the importance of friendship. I especially loved the character of Mina, who was the perfect blend of intelligence and wit, and she served as a beacon of light for Michael when things turned dark. The book is written in lyrical prose that add a magical charm, and makes it feel so engrossed in Michael’s world.

Skellig is a book full of juxtapositions: sad but hopeful, glum but bright, and mythical yet oddly realistic. Surviving on a diet of insects from the floor and food from the bins – what is this creature, and why does he have bumps on his back that seem suspiciously like where angel wings should sit? It turned out to be a beautiful tale about Michael, a boy coming to terms with living in a new (very run down) house, with a new baby sister who has a heart condition, and with the strange, emaciated creature hidden among the boxes in his beaten up garage.

I went into this book not particularly knowing what to expect I knew it was a middle-grade book with fantasy elements, but that was it.

That was until I did a book swap with two of my blogging friends, and this was the book that one of them chose for us all to read. I knew it existed, but didn’t really have it on my TBR list. Skellig is a book that I feel like I’d heard of, but it wasn’t particularly on my radar. Title: Skellig Author: David Almond Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books Date: 1998 Genre: MG Fantasy With his new friend Mina, Michael nourishes Skellig back to health, while his baby sister languishes in the hospital.īut Skellig is far more than he at first appears, and as he helps Michael breathe life into his tiny sister, Michael’s world changes for ever… A strange creature – part owl, part angel, a being who needs Michael’s help if he is to survive. Then, one Sunday afternoon, he stumbles into the old, ramshackle garage of his new home, and finds something magical. When a move to a new house coincides with his baby sister’s illness, Michael’s world seems suddenly lonely and uncertain.

Skellig novel