Clemency Pogue: Fairy Killer [Deckle Edge] [Hardcover]

JT Petty (Author), Will Davis (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Clemency Pogue

Clever and resourceful Clemency must travel the world to reanimate fairies she has accidentally killed.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Inanity abounds in Petty's debut novel, a snippet of a tale that borrows from the sagas of Peter Pan and Rumpelstiltskin. After a nasty fairy stings Clemency repeatedly with a burning wand and causes the 10-year-old to tumble into a deep gorge, she recalls that there was "in the story of the little boy who never grew up, instruction for the extermination of fairies" and declares, "I don't believe in fairies!" Because she utters this sentence seven times, Clemency inadvertently kills not only the fairy tormenting her, but six others as well. A hobgoblin appears and, when Clemency unknowingly utters his name and becomes his master, he agrees to accompany her to the sites of the fairies' demises. Tunneling through the earth at a rapid pace, the two visit the children whose lives have been affected by the diminutive creatures' deaths, including a boy in Salt Lake City who woke up to find that the Tooth Fairy hadn't retrieved his tooth—and was lying dead on his pillow; a lovesick lad in Brazil whom the Fairy of Love and Tenderness was helping to write a poem to his beloved when that fairy was struck dead; and a girl in Siberia whose infected ear contains a pea and the body of the Fairy of Noninvasive Surgery, who had died while attempting to remove the legume. Though Petty works some clever wordplay and comic elements into his narrative, readers are likely to find Clemency's path to reversing the curse lengthy and laborious. Ages 8-12.
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From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6–Clemency Pogue is a good listener, which is why she knows what to do when a malicious fairy attacks her in the woods. Remembering an incident from Peter Pan, she cries out, "I don't believe in fairies!" Unfortunately, she utters those words seven times before the fairy falls down dead, and a hobgoblin pops up to inform her that six other fairies have been slain as well. After Clem inadvertently utters the hobgoblin's secret name, placing him in her power, the two set off into the world to find the fairies' true names and bring them back to life. Despite the occasional self-conscious attempts to be overtly glib, this satire of "tough fairy" stories à la the "Artemis Fowl" books (Hyperion) is lighthearted, with touches of mischief and merriment. Davis's black-and-white illustrations add to the accessibility of this short, action-filled tale.–Farida S. Dowler, Mercer Island Library, WA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers (April 26, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689872364
• ISBN-13: 978-0689872365
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,691,187 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, raised in Cheverly (on the outskirts of Washington D.C.), tormented in Severna Park (on the outskirts of Annapolis) and then found a home on the inskirts of Brooklyn, NY. I make a living at storytelling in any medium anybody will hire me in.

Outside of books, I also write and direct scary movies (Soft for Digging, Mimic Sentinel) and write videogames (Splinter Cell, Pandora Tomorrow, Batman: Begins). If anybody claims I once fronted a country-western band, it's a groundless rumor.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So funny you'll spew root beer out of your nose, April 14, 2005

By 

Elizabeth S. Zitron "Garry" (Eugene, OR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Clemency Pogue: Fairy Killer (Hardcover)

If you buy this book, be prepared to spend a lot of time laughing really hard and shaking your head in disbelief that someone could write such rapid-fire, shamefully good words that are strung together like a very silly, but impressive necklace. Not the macaroni kind. The valuable, expensive kind of necklace.

I would highly recommend this book whether you're a kid or a silly adult. Or you have a fairy problem to solve. Or maybe you're trapped under something large and need something to read as you wait for help. This is a great book to read in all of life's situations. It's that funny. But, don't read it in church or at a funeral or a State of the Union address. Because you'll laugh really hard and get mean looks. Someone might even take the book away, which would totally suck and you'd regret that for the rest of your life.

If you love Monty Python, Jasper Fforde, Shel Silverstein, or are just a connossieur of clever writing, this is the book for you. It tastes good also. I prefer mine with clementine jam.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Book Ever!, May 9, 2005

By 

David Brunton "area man" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Clemency Pogue: Fairy Killer (Hardcover)

Okay, it might not actually be the best book ever, but it's hilariously funny, and it's written by my favorite multi-hyphen-ate. And maybe it is the best book ever...

I'll try to avoid spoilers, but suffice it to say this: If you like bees, avoid this book. If you like hobgoblins and think they should be allowed privacy (of their names) and freedom, avoid this book. Otherwise, read it.

And he dedicated it to his two sisters, which is really cute.

I notice that Amazon requires me to certify that "I am over the age of 13" in order to submit this review. That is probably the reason there aren't more reviews like mine, because it is written for the tweeners- I certainly would have loved it at the age of twelve.

Ah well. Buy it. Read it. Love it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cute New Book for Young/Middle Readers, May 6, 2005

By 

Erika Sorocco (Southern California, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Clemency Pogue: Fairy Killer (Hardcover)

Clemency Pogue wasn't born into riches. Quite the opposit, as a matter of fact. But she was loved, and brought up on wonderful children's stories that still float around in her head. Especially the story of PETER PAN, complete with the badly behaved fairy Tinkerbell. So when Clemency finds herself being viciously attacked by a wicked, invincible fairy, she thinks back to her favorite story, and shouts "I don't believe in fairies. I don't!" But, unlike in PETER PAN, the command does not work, so Clemency continues to shout it over and over again, until the wicked fairy drops down to the ground, dead. But that isn't the end of the story. Certainly not. Soon a little hobgoblin named Chaphesmeeso appears just in time to inform Clem that not only did she kill the wicked fairy, but she also killed six other fairies around the world; all of whom were in the middle of important, life-changing tasks. Clem is now on a mission to set the world right, and bring each and every fairy back to life, including Miss Wicked herself.

I adore fairies, so CLEMENCY POGUE: FAIRY KILLER quickly caught my eye, and captured my heart. Clemency is an adorable, hard-headed, and fun character who is constantly getting herself into all sorts of mischief. Her adventures with Chaphesmeeso are entertaining, and will keep young/middle readers enthralled for hours at a time. A wonderful story. I only hope that JT Petty decides to continue Clem's adventures in the future.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper