Skellig by David Almond
“Don’t be angry. Be my friend.” – David Almond, Skellig
Written in 1998, Skellig is a young adult fantasy novella which focuses on a young boy named Michael. He is experiencing multiple high stress events in his life. He has moved into a very creepy old house, and his mother has just given birth to a newborn sister. His sister is extremely ill, and it is uncertain whether she will live. One day, Michael wanders into the garage and discovers a very strange man. Who is this man? Will Michael’s sister be alright?
This is just the type of fantasy that I adore, realistic fantasy. It was as though this could have been plucked from my dreams. It was intriguing and interesting. However, I couldn’t help but think that it would have been better if the book was written by Neil Gaiman. The concepts were fantastic, but the suspense could have been amplified.
This book also had some really interesting conversation about the educational system. There is a little girl named Mina who is a fan of William Blake. I probably would have been happier if the author had picked any other poet other than William Blake. The last review that I wrote about William Blake was this poem:
William Blake is not my mate.
His poems can put me to sleep
Although that can be neat.
Most of them are about religion
But I would rather stare at a pigeon.
Boring and old
To read these again, I would need some gold.
Skellig also offered up some great quotes. Every time now that I have a nice meal, I am going to call out, “Food of the gods!” I also loved how the strange man always wants Chinese food, 27 and 53. It reminded me of all of the times that I drove to Young’s Chinese Food. Yes, they knew who I was when I called in. Oh to not be Celiac! Nostalgia. Nostalgia. Nostalgia.
Is this book going to go supernatural or is there a rational explanation for the stranger in the garage? Guess you will have to read this book to find out!
This is one of James Mustich’s 1,000 Books to Read.