- Find all the latest books, toys, games and DVDs from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in our Harry Potter store.
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Special Offers and Product Promotions
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Book Description
A magical modern fairytale set in Kiev, featuring a girl called Masha who lives in a flying trolleybus called Icarus.
Product Description
When rich Uncle Igor sends her mother abroad to work, Masha stays in Kiev and moves into an old, disused trolleybus called Icarus. But one night there is a terrible storm and Icarus takes off! Masha is transported to an enchanted place where she discovers that, on midsummer eve, she will be able to wish for whatever her heart desires. But will Masha be able to find the enchanted place again and work out her heart’s desire in time? And will she make the right wish to bring her mother back home so they can escape Igor’s clutches for ever?
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
Two worlds meet in "Raising Icarus"- the world of modern Ukraine, with the social divisions and inequalities that have replaced those that were present under communism; and the traditional Ukraine, where magic and spirits, and those in touch with them, were half-feared, half-revered. The invasion of the magical into everyday life was what put me in mind of Marquez. And just for good measure, we also have references back to the Britain that most of the readers will presumably be familiar with. Can Masha, the young heroine, overcome the unpleasant events in her life that have resulted in her living away from her parents?
This is a fairly enjoyable book, with readable short chapters. It helpfully opens the reader's eyes to another part of the world, which the author has obviously observed in detail. However, I did find the narration a little unfocused. There didn't seem to be much change in tone from one scene to another, and significant events seemed to me rather arbitrary, instead of an inevitable development of the plot. I'd like to recommend it, but I fear that many readers would ultimately find it somewhat unsatisfying.
This is a fairly enjoyable book, with readable short chapters. It helpfully opens the reader's eyes to another part of the world, which the author has obviously observed in detail. However, I did find the narration a little unfocused. There didn't seem to be much change in tone from one scene to another, and significant events seemed to me rather arbitrary, instead of an inevitable development of the plot. I'd like to recommend it, but I fear that many readers would ultimately find it somewhat unsatisfying.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
Riding Icarus is an odd little tale. The author Lily Hyde clearly has quite a broad imagination. The tale is set in the Ukraine and also a world of magical fantasy. The story follows the adventures of Masha who rides a trolleybus called Icarus and meets friends along the way. There are a number of original and interesting sequences that Masha encounters throughout the book and the chapters are quite short. However, I did struggle to follow what was happening at times, and although it was quite a good way to learn a bit about another culture, at times I was confused about what was meant to be fantasy and what was just a Ukrainian thing.
I'm not quite sure what age group this will appeal to but I would guess at 10 to 14 year olds. It's a little complicated on occasion and often drifts along without furthering the plot. A younger reader with a vivid imagination would probably get a lot more out of this than I did. Not bad.
I'm not quite sure what age group this will appeal to but I would guess at 10 to 14 year olds. It's a little complicated on occasion and often drifts along without furthering the plot. A younger reader with a vivid imagination would probably get a lot more out of this than I did. Not bad.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
The tale of Masha and her flying trolleybus rambles, rather like one of London's buses, starting in the Northern suburbs and wending its way laboriously through the centre of town to reach the suburbs south of the river. There were some interesting places to see along the way but they rarely compensated for the dull stretches in between. The characters were fairly one dimensional and I found it difficult to care about Masha or what was going to happen next. The blurb promised a magical modern fairytale. I anticipated something along the lines of Joan Aiken or Diana Wynne Jones. Sadly, this book wasn't anywhere near that good.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Was this review helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Reasonable fairy tale story
An interesting book, based on Russian fairytales as far as I can see. I enjoyed this, but nothing stood out for me.
Published on 16 Oct 2009 by Thurstan Johnston
Interesting thoughtful tale for the younger reader
For something magical, but different from the Englishness of Harry Potter, this is worth a read.
Published on 23 Dec 2008 by Richard Murphy
Its not Oz...
But the idea of getting transported to a magical elsewhere during a storm is reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz. Read more
Published on 3 Dec 2008 by Lark
Charming with a hint of modern menace
I read Riding Icarus in one sitting. From the opening page I was drawn into Masha's world. Set in modern day Kiev, Masha lives on a trolleybus on the outskirts of the city. Read more
Published on 21 Nov 2008 by H.P.
Fun and surreal, but shallow considering the length.
Whilst this is a book definitely aimed at children, I found it relatively shallow. The characters are likable enough, but some lack depth to an extent that they seem... Read more
Published on 25 Sep 2008 by Jon Bond
Exciting Children's Literature
This exciting children's novel is a delight to read. Its energy and verve reminded me of Salman Rushdie's Haroun and the Sea of Stories, but the culture here is firmly Eastern... Read more
Published on 21 Aug 2008 by Mr. A. D. H. Lowe
A solid read
Its nice to see a kids book that tries to teach a little something about the world outside our shores. Read more
Published on 6 Aug 2008 by Cat
Unforgettable characterisation - the next big fantasy film?
I was in two minds about this before I ordered - I knew it was a book aimed at children, but so were the Harry Potter novels in the infancy of the series; many adults found a kind... Read more
Published on 27 Jun 2008 by R. WEST-SOLEY
Delightful and charming
I read quite a lot of children's books despite being childless and nearly middle-aged, but I've not seen many books like "Riding Icarus". Read more
Published on 26 Jun 2008 by Michele Fry
Enchanting
This beautiful story is well written, and captivating. I agree, there are some words in the novel beyond the grasp of 9 year olds. Read more
Published on 19 Jun 2008 by Well Read
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
