- Paperback: 172 pages
- Publisher: Mammoth; New edition edition (6 July 1989)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0749700076
- ISBN-13: 978-0749700072
- Product Dimensions: 17.6 x 11 x 1.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,016,667 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Review
Third child of a single parent, 15-year-old Molly is her mother Maureen's mainstay in caring for foster children placed with them because of Maureen's unusual nurturing ability. Molly thinks of herself as ordinary: "Ordinary is written all over me, and probably all through me, too, like seaside rock." Yet, extraordinarily, Molly is chosen as caregiver for a unique foster child: Floris, refugee from Launde, a parallel world. Through vivid dreams, Molly knows Floris' true identity as a prince menaced by the wicked Magus, knowledge that enables her - with the help of charming new friend Icarus, whose unreliable smile belies his sterling character - to protect Floris and to restore the Heartstone of Launde. Floris can return safe to his family, while Molly's own family is also suddenly set to rights: one "large, dangerous" brother gets a job and turns shy and friendly; the other actually begins to help at home by cooking a meal. An impressive first novel, with likable, well-drawn characters; a thought-provoking plot in which the fantasy intensifies subtle insights into ordinary existence; fresh language; and intriguing use of literary references, from "Tamlin" to "The Snow Queen." An excellent choice for fans of Diana Wynne Jones. (Kirkus Reviews)
Product Description
Molly does not like her domestic chores and so advertises for a job. This leads her to a magical tryst beyond her home and a world of dangerous witchcraft. The musician, Icarus, is her only ally. Readership level: 11+ years.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Molly is saddled with a moronic older brother, a games freak younger brother and an imagination that is belied by her too sensible face and red hair. When she writes a mock advert for 'Quests undertaken', she doesn't realise that she will soon be thrust into an age old feud as she is chosen to care for Floris.
Annie Dalton writes eloquently and with beauty. Out of the ordinary draws you into Molly's life, filled with her mother's fosterlings and into the magical world that she is drawn into. The prose moves along with an almost dreamlike quality and the characters make you laugh and cry with them. A must read for any fan of the slightly surreal.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3 reviews
Prose that shines; unforgettable characters; a great story
28 Jun 2005
Format:Paperback
In Molly Gurney's chaotic, lively home where her mother is always busy with children, neighbours, kittens and hens, domestic needs always come first. No wonder Molly considers herself to be very ordinary! However, Molly is anything but ordinary. When, in a fit of boredom, she writes an advertisement for a job--"quests undertaken, lost things found, enchantments broken"--and doesn't even send it to the newspaper, it leads her to a magical tryst far beyond her cosy home. First a small child is dumped without warning on the Gurneys' doorstep. Though Molly is used to sharing her home with foster children, Floris wasn't sent by the social services, who can't trace his origins. And there is something even more mysterious about him. To protect the child, Molly has to enter a world of dangerous witchcraft, in which her only ally is the devastatingly handsome musician, Icarus.
Annie Dalton has it all: an exceptional story-telling skill, a style that, though deceptively simple, can only be described as poetry in prose, and the ability to create characters so complex they aren't just three-dimensional; they're almost four-dimensional. Judging from one of the review excerpts quoted in this edition, Out of the Ordinary may have been her first published book. An unforgettable read.
Annie Dalton has it all: an exceptional story-telling skill, a style that, though deceptively simple, can only be described as poetry in prose, and the ability to create characters so complex they aren't just three-dimensional; they're almost four-dimensional. Judging from one of the review excerpts quoted in this edition, Out of the Ordinary may have been her first published book. An unforgettable read.
Amazing tale of good versus evil
1 Mar 2004
Format:Paperback
Molly is saddled with a moronic older brother, a games freak younger brother and an imagination that is belied by her too sensible face and red hair. When she writes a mock advert for 'Quests undertaken', she doesn't realise that she will soon be thrust into an age old feud as she is chosen to care for Floris.
Annie Dalton writes eloquently and with beauty. Out of the ordinary draws you into Molly's life, filled with her mother's fosterlings and into the magical world that she is drawn into. The prose moves along with an almost dreamlike quality and the characters make you laugh and cry with them. A must read for any fan of the slightly surreal.
unexpected plus
18 Feb 2002
Format:Hardcover
This book was a bit out of the ordinary but the mix of science fiction, parallel universes, romance, and wonderfully portrayed characters its a very good read. Molly is the out of the ordinary girl who seems oh so ordinary.
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