With fascination, Davie and his friend Geordie watch the arrival of a new boy, Stephen Rose, in their town. He seems to have come from nowhere, and when he arrives to live with his distant aunt, the local Crazy Mary, no one envies his new home. But perhaps he’s the answer to Davie and Geordie’s prayers – a secret weapon in their war against monstrous Mouldy and his gang.
Intrigued, Davie and Geordie befriend Stephen. But they are heading innocently down a path that brings with it a monster of an entirely unexpected nature. Their encounter with the mysterious Stephen is as incredible as it is menacing, and as the true story of Stephen’s past slowly emerges, Davie’s life is changed for ever…
A stunning novel from the author of the modern children’s classic Skellig – winner of the Carnegie Medal and the Whitbread Children’s Book Award. David Almond is also winner of the 2010 Hans Christian Andersen award.
Intrigued, Davie and Geordie befriend Stephen. But they are heading innocently down a path that brings with it a monster of an entirely unexpected nature. Their encounter with the mysterious Stephen is as incredible as it is menacing, and as the true story of Stephen’s past slowly emerges, Davie’s life is changed for ever…
A stunning novel from the author of the modern children’s classic Skellig – winner of the Carnegie Medal and the Whitbread Children’s Book Award. David Almond is also winner of the 2010 Hans Christian Andersen award.
Newsletter Signup
By clicking ‘Sign Up,’ I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Hachette Book Group’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Reviews
An effective, engaging story.
An astonishing journey. I believe that Almond's books should be compulsory reading in all secondary schools.
The climax of this strange miraculous, beautiful book will make it a classroom classic.
... funny, mysterious, moving, frightening, and so deftly constructed as to be fiercely compelling. ... not beneath the attention of adult readers.
'...this story is totally accessible...an involving and thought provoking read.'
Both exhilarating and horrifying.
... a work of art out of the simplest words ...
Dark and thought-provoking.
This is the best that children's fiction has to offer. Brilliant.
Hypnotic storytelling.
'... another gripping read from one of the master storytellers.'
Funny, mysterious, moving, frightening and so deftly constructed as to be fiercely compelling. This is extraordinary story telling.
'Focusing on good and evil, love and desire and the supernatural, Clay transcends the limitations of some writing for children.'
... lilting prose and a seamless blending of primitive magic with discerning realism. ... elegiac lyricism of a lament for lost innocence but punctuated by moments of sharply observed humour, this adroit and perceptive novel has both immediate appeal and long-lasting resonance.
His most mysterious and spellbinding work yet.
A stunning read.
This adroit and perceptive novel has both immediate appeal and long-lasting resonance.
He weaves a story web, spiderlike, that holds the reader spellbound while he spins new thought-threads on universal themes