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Pure Dead Magic
 
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Pure Dead Magic (Hardcover)

by Debi Gliori (Author)
4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)

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2 new from £14.61 24 used from £0.01 14 collectible from £8.00
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Paperback (New edition) £5.99 £4.49 130 used & new from £0.01

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 209 pages
  • Publisher: Doubleday; hardcover edition (2 April 2001)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0385601549
  • ISBN-13: 978-0385601542
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 462,931 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #46 in  Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators > G > Gliori, Debi

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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
Age range: 9-11

Debi Gliori may be better known for her superb picture books, ranging from the undeniable love-in of No Matter What to the satisfying bedtime book, The Very Small, but this time the lady takes on new literary life with the superb (not to mention downright dotty!) Pure Dead Magic--an unforgettable first novel that will leave the reader at once exhausted and exhilarated.

Imagine, if you will, the family home of the Strega-Borgia family, StregaSchloss. Here we meet young Titus Strega-Borgia, our 12-year-old hero, his 10-year-old sister Pandora and the divine baby Damp. Then there's mum and dad: Luciano and the rather stressed-out Baci. Oh, and great-great-great-great-great-great grandmother Strega-Nonna (who, by the way, is cryogenically preserved in the freezer) plus The Good Help That Was Hard To Find (the nanny Mrs Flora McLachlan, the butler Latch and the cook Marie Bain). Add to the mix the rats who live in the modem, the beasts in the basement, a seriously wicked baddie called Don Lucifer di S'Embowelli and a gangster in a rabbit suit and watch as the ensuing mayhem takes hold.

The award-winning Gliori has an admirable style and this gloriously gothic romp is a credit to her artist's eye, with every page bursting with intrigue and an unbelievable energy that paints a startlingly vivid, picture on the mind. For a first attempt at fiction by a woman who has made her name in the world of picture books, this is far from disappointing: her sense of the totally absurd is astounding, her characters are simply sensational and her wild sense of humour is downright delicious. Pure Dead Magic is a must-read. --Susan Harrison

Books for Keeps
“…fast-moving, over-the-top, engaging and great fun. A jolly good read” --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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83% buy the item featured on this page:
Pure Dead Magic 4.1 out of 5 stars (14)
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Customer Reviews

14 Reviews
5 star:
 (8)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (2)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.1 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A funny and magical book that will delight readers., 9 Jun 2001
By Rebecca Herman (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
The weird Strega-Borgia family lives in their large (and very strange) home, known as StregaSchloss, in the Scottish Highlands. There's Titus, who's twelve and is obsessed with computers, his ten-year-old sister Pandora, who has a pet rat, and their baby sister Damp, who is... well, a baby. And of course their parents: their mom, a witch-in-training, and their father, currently in the captivity of his evil half-brother, as well as the cook (who actually can't cook for her life), the butler, and the nanny. Not to mention the various beasts and creatures that also make their home at StregaSchloss. Of course, the REAL trouble starts when Pandora dabbles in magic, shrinks Damp, and sends her over the Internet. This unusual, hilarious, and VERY WEIRD book is great for readers who like humorous fantasy books.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A real treat, 19 Dec 2001
By A Customer
Very funny. I enjoyed reading it as an adult, although really it's pitched at the 8-12 year old mark, everyone will like it. Especially the rats that get into the modem, and the talking spider who ends up actually searching the web!

The binding is absolutely beautiful, purple suede embossed with silver. A gorgeous gift for someone...

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars It's pure funny magic!, 7 Dec 2008
A Kid's Review
This review is from: Pure Dead Magic (Paperback)
Pure Dead Magic has a really fantastic plot and the beasts' names are really funny. My favourite characters are Mrs Mclachlan and Damp. Pure Dead Magic is the start of a wonderful series and I can't wait to read the rest.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Warning: do not eat or drink anything while reading this book.
=On first glance, I thought this would be entertaining. I got a glimpse of how entertaining it would be with the dramatis personae. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Jessica

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure dead FANTASTIC!
This book is wonderful, it introduces 12yearold Titus, his younger, clever sister Pandora and their baby sister, Damp, as well as their fascinating parents, Signor Luciano and... Read more
Published on 12 April 2005 by conor byrne

4.0 out of 5 stars pure dead magic
I have not often read a book which i found so funny and yet so captivating. Pure dead magic is hard to put down, with its colourful characters and interesting story line it is... Read more
Published on 25 Aug 2004 by Ellie

4.0 out of 5 stars A-ghast!
A really fun book, best described as Mervyn Peake (Gormenghast) lightened up with a large measure of Terry Pratchett style humour. Recommended for "kids" of all ages. Read more
Published on 10 Aug 2004 by bigrich25

1.0 out of 5 stars Lazy, unedited, derivative and dull
It's difficult to imagine how anyone can possibly give a book as poor as this five stars. Then again, it has a bright shiny cover and a catchy title - rather like 'Artemis Fowl',... Read more
Published on 8 Jul 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent writing for reading aloud
This story had me glued to the pages, as did the two sequels. The style and scope for vocabulary development makes this ideal material for reading aloud to Juniors (with a little... Read more
Published on 22 May 2004 by S. Abel

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best i've read
Debi Gliori is one of the best authors and i love her books i think all her Pure Dead books are funny. Read more
Published on 31 Jan 2004 by Gary

5.0 out of 5 stars Weird, wonderful and hilariously funny . . .
'Pure Dead Magic' had me in stitches - a fantastic book that mixed the absurd with just the right amount of family realism - nappies that need changing, children crawling into bed... Read more
Published on 10 Aug 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars Weird, wonderful, and unfailingly hilarious . . .
I read this book on a whim, and I'm glad I did. The humour is quirky and had me in stitches for most of the book. Read more
Published on 10 Aug 2003

1.0 out of 5 stars Great cover but... that's about it!
Attracted by the cover, the title and the reviews I thought this book could be a good read for my son. What a disappointment! It tries to be a modern Adam's family and fails. Read more
Published on 29 April 2002

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