Skellig
David Almond
Laurel-Leaf
Fiction, YA Fantasy
Themes: Angels, Religious Themes
****
Description
Michael and his family just moved into a new home, a fixer-upper if ever there was one. A short time ago, it looked to be an interesting adventure... but then, his baby sister arrived too early. She is in the hospital as much as she is at home, looked over by a man Michael calls "Dr. Death." Her illness has cast a pall over everything, straining family ties to their utmost. While exploring his new home, Michael finds something very strange in the dilapidated, junk-filled garage... a sickly thing, not quite a man, but not quite an animal. Shortly after this discovery, he meets Mina, a home-schooled outcast and the only one he believes might help him understand the creature in the garage. In helping it, maybe, somehow, they can help Michael's ailing sister.
Review
This is a very different book, not so saccharine as others might have written it. There is a certain poetry to Michael's story; almost too much poetry, but on the whole it works. The question of Skellig's identity remains throughout the book, as it seems to defy all standard classifications: an angel with elements of a bird, a man with strangely animalistic qualities, or maybe a wish made grotesquely manifest. All told, it's a good tale that's definitely off the beaten path.