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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
When Kit moves to Stoneygate--a once thriving mining village haunted by a long-ago tragedy which killed 117 children--he is befriended by the wretched, sullen John Askew, a boy whose very soul has been fractured by his violent upbringing. As Kit's grieving grandfather begins to lose his grip on life, Kit is irresistibly drawn into a treacherous game played for the highest of stakes. Coming face to face with the ghosts of the wilderness--the space between the houses and the river where the ancient mine once flourished--this game ultimately tests his perceptions of life and death.
The award-winning author of Skellig, David Almond, has set this extraordinary novel on a canvas of bleak, uncompromising landscapes which perfectly echo the simmering tensions that drive the story. With its all consuming, chilling and surprisingly sensual depth Kit's Wilderness is packed tight with emotions that resonate on the page, making it a truly remarkable and unforgettable novel for older children. (Ages 11 and over).--Susan Harrison --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
'Could a children's book win the Booker? The best writing is the kind that defies categories, and Almond's Kit's Wilderness makes the grade.' (The Times )
'You can feel the chill from the ghosts that haunt its pages. An essential read from an original voice in children's books.' (The Daily Telegraph )
'David Almond is a writer of subtle, page-turning and daring exactness, and he applies the same potent poetic and emphatic skills in his equally moving new novel.' (Times Educational Supplement )
'A children's book of stunning freshness and individuality.' (Literary Review )
'You can feel the chill from the ghosts that haunt its pages. An essential read from an original voice in children's books.' (The Daily Telegraph )
'David Almond is a writer of subtle, page-turning and daring exactness, and he applies the same potent poetic and emphatic skills in his equally moving new novel.' (Times Educational Supplement )
'A children's book of stunning freshness and individuality.' (Literary Review )
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
In Stoneygate there was a wilderness. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
In Stoneygate there was a wilderness. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is brilliant at evoking a particular place. The old mining town of Stoneygate is laid before us in engaging detail, complete with kids playing on the wilderness by the river, unemployed miners stumbling out of the pubs, and Kit, newly arrived in the town where his family have been miners for generations. At first it seems as if Kit has got in with the wrong crowd, as he plays dangerous games with local thug John Askew in the wilderness causing his teachers and his family concern. But as he listens to his Grandpa's stories about the past, he realises that he has an important role: out of the darkness of the past, his own imagination, and the dark places he falls into, he can bring light. He needs the help of a ghost called Silky, an Ice Girl with silver claws, a Caveman called Lak, and the magic pebbles from the past, but in the end he shows the town that a new spring is possible.
This book is a delight to read; it takes you on a journey that will change you as it changes Kit.
This book is a delight to read; it takes you on a journey that will change you as it changes Kit.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I know this is a short review but I have to object to the book having an average rating of only 4 stars. This is one of the finest two childrens' books of all time. The only one to compare is 'Two weeks with the Queen' by Morris Gleitzman.
If you have ever lived in a place even remotely like Stoneygate then you must be able to recognise life there, and the games they play.
This novel kept me gripped, reminded me of my home town and of childhood.
Special.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
My sister got this book from the libary and finished it in 2 days. Shes not usually into reading in a big way, so I thought wow this must be something special and decided to pick it up myself.
I am so glad I did. This is one of the best books I've enjoyed in ages. From the language to the plot to ideas behind it, it really is wonderful. But most of all for its creation of the amazingly real and yet immensly interesting Askew, I challenge you not to understand completely what kit means when he says he feels drawn to him.
I am so glad I did. This is one of the best books I've enjoyed in ages. From the language to the plot to ideas behind it, it really is wonderful. But most of all for its creation of the amazingly real and yet immensly interesting Askew, I challenge you not to understand completely what kit means when he says he feels drawn to him.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Almond at his best, moving, saddening and beautiful
When 13 year old Christopher, known as Kit, Watson, comes to live in the ex mining town of Stoneygate he is coming to a land where his roots run deep. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Jo Bennie
A Quietly Compelling Story
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... Read more
Published on 29 Sep 2009 by Sir Furboy
Original and brilliant
This book is amazing; the story is creative very dark and dappled with light throughout and moved towards a wonderful creative ending. Read more
Published on 14 Sep 2009 by Mr. R. N. Lock
Another excellent story by David Almond!
Kit's Wilderness, brilliantly written by David Almond, comes a story that has attracted readers all over the country. Read more
Published on 21 July 2005 by Sian Carrington
THIS IS A VERY GOOD, EXCITING BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is another very good book and that is very exciting all the way through by David Almond! The story has exelent charecters such as kit wotson-the main charecter , allie keenan... Read more
Published on 21 July 2005 by gemma fane
Kits Wilderness
Kits wilderness is a book about a boy called kit who lives in stoney gate. It's set in real life, but then things change, and you start to get a mix of fantasy and real life. Read more
Published on 21 July 2005 by Peter
kits wilderness rocks!!
Once again David Almond has produced a masterpiece! Kits wilderness what a book! The book is set in stoneygate a small mining town. Read more
Published on 21 July 2005 by anthony Braybrooke
Kits wicked wilderness!
Once again David Almond has created a master pecie!This book is truly amazing with its fantastic twisting ever-changing storyline which contains Kit Watson the main character and... Read more
Published on 21 July 2005
Another great one by Almond
I liked this one better than "Skellig", Almond's debut. The story of "Kit's wilderness" somehow felt more natural to me, although there's plenty of that typical magical realism in... Read more
Published on 8 Jan 2003
Breathtaking, brilliant, my favorite book ever!
A wonderful book. The story of a boy named Kit who finds a wilderness, a space between the houses of Stonygate and the river, where there was once a ancient coal pit. Read more
Published on 11 Jun 2001
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