Kit's Wilderness [Paperback]

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

'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 )

'An essential read' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

'Almond is a genius at conjuring up atmosphere . . . I wouldn't be surprised if this scoops all this year's awards.' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Kit has just moved to Stoneygate with his family, to live with his ageing grandfather who is gradually succumbing to Alzheimer's Disease. Stoneygate is an insular place, scarred by its mining history - by the danger and death it has brought them. Where the coal mine used to be there is now a wilderness.



Here Kit meets Askew, a surly and threatening figure who masterminds the game called Death, a frightening ritual of hypnotism; and makes friends with Allie, the clever school troublemaker. As Kit struggles to adjust to his new life and the gradual failing of his beloved grandfather, these two friendships pull him towards a terrifying resolution. Haunted by ghosts of the past, Kit must confront death and - ultimately - life.

NEWSPAPER REVIEWS
In David Almond's latest novel you can feel the chill from the ghosts that haunt its pages. An essential read. THE DAILY TELEGRAPH - 17 APRIL 1999

Skellig showed that Almond was able to combine emotional involvement with a real skill for story-telling in a manner rare in any writer; his new book, Kit's Wilderness, is even better - I was surprised that was even possible... One of Almond's stengths is his willingness to look straight at suffering, to find a way to transform it that does not feel like an easy way out. THE TIMES - 20 MAY 1999

Almond is a genius at conjuring up atmosphere. Often it is the small details that make you feel you're really there... The book makes a good point: that there is good in everyone, no matter how menacing or evil they might seem. I wouldn't be surprised if this scoops all this year's awards. THE HERALD GLASGOW - 3 APRIL 1999

Kit's Wilderness by Whitbread Award winner David Almond is an enthralling, multi-layered and complex story with a tension that builds and grips the reader as the book progresses. Kit's relationships with his Grandpa, with Askew - a threatening adversary - and with Allie - rebellious and exciting - are skilfully woven together in a story that also explores the relationship of the present with the past. THE BOOKSELLER - 12 FEBRUARY 1999

It is set in a derelict former mining area, in the dark days of winter but it is ultimately an uplifting novel - powerful and beautifully written. THE BOOKSELLER - 19 MARCH 1999

David Almond is twice winner of the Whitbread Children's Book Award. His first novel, SKELLIG, won the Whitbread Children's Award and the Carnegie Medal. His second, KIT'S WILDERNESS, won the Smarties Award Silver Medal, was Highly Commended for the Carnegie Medal, and shortlisted for the Guardian Award. THE FIRE-EATERS won the Whitbread, the Smarties Gold Award and was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal. David is widely regarded as one of the most exciting and innovative children's authors writing today, and his books are bestsellers all over the world. He lives with his family in Northumberland.