Customer Reviews

A Stranger Came Ashore (Harper Trophy Books)

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A very unique fantasy, laced with Scottish traditions and culture and the folklore of the Seal-people, Selkies. Mollie Hunter writes in a style unlike that of many 9-12 authors, and her story is a slow buildup to a shocking climax.

A small family in Scotland encounters a shipwrecked survivor, a handsome young man named Finn Learson. Finn rapidly endears himself to the family, especially to the pretty Elspeth. The only ones who don't like him are young Robbie, Old Da, Tam the dog, and Nicol, Elspeth's increasingly irritated fiancee. Old Da is the grandfather of the family, a learned storyteller who tells his grandson tales about the Great Selkie, a malevolent seal-man who roofs his crystal palace with the golden hair of girls he's married and pulled underwater.

Clues begin to come together as time goes on: Finn loves dancing and strange, eerie music; he has a golden piece of eight; an omen in the ashes; his ability to literally mesmerize; the way his hands feel. Robbie has a strange feeling about it all, and when Old Da suddenly falls ill, he reveals that a stranger like Finn came ashore years before. But he dies before he can tell Robbie all of it.

Finn's intentions toward Elspeth become clearer when he and Nicol begin openly vying for her affections. Elspeth is swayed by promises of wealth and prestige, but Robbie is beginning to realize that Finn is not even human. Desperate for someone to help him, he goes to the old eccentric Yarl Corbie, whose girlfriend was stolen away mysteriously many years ago...

Perhaps one of the few flaws with this book is that it really isn't a "Tale of Suspense." Within the first fifty pages it's clear who and what Finn is, and what he's planning. However, this suspense is kept up by Old Da's last words and the mystery of Yarl Corbie.

Robbie is a fairly standard pre-adolescent, but his concern for his sister and liking for Nicol raise him above the average. We don't see enough of Old Da, nor of Yarl Corbie, who is a delectably sinister character with strange powers who adds a great deal to the plot. Elspeth is sadly a rather annoying character, who seems rather condescending even after the incident with Finn. I liked Nicol a great deal, and felt that he should have done better than Elspeth.

One thing that raises it above the ordinary is insight into old Scottish ways of living, surviving on the combined fishing and farming. Additionally, I liked the parts where the real seals are encountered, and the old legends about them and the Great Selkie; also, old Scottish traditions from the pre-Christian era.

Additionally, the book is worth it for the climax especially. The battle between Robbie, Nicol and Yarl Corbie and the increasingly sinister Finn Learson is fast-paced and almost horrifying in places, and the weird angles of Finn's power come across to the reader. Hunter's writing style is at its peak in that scene--elsewhere, it may lose younger readers with the more mythic pace and method.

An excellent fantasy, marred by only a few flaws.

From the moment the bedraggled stranger, Finn Learson, burst unexpectantly into the Hendersons' home, I was captivated. I could scarcely put the book down. Robbie Henderson, a twelve year old Shetlander, learns about the magical powers of the Selkie Folk as he struggles to keep his sister, Elspeth, from marrying the Great Selkie. It's obvious why Mollie Hunter has been dubbed "Scotland's most gifted storyteller" by Connie Epstein in the journal of the Society of Children's Book Writers. Hunter, who has led an interesting life, has researched Celtic folklore.

I loved this book, A Stranger Came Ashore. I didn't want our teacher, who read it to us, to put it down it was so suspensful. I think I recommended it to my family ten times, fearing they would forget about it. Although this book was mostly fiction I learned a lot about the culture of the people who live in the Shetland Islands. This culture is very interesting mostly because I had never heard of it before. One of the things that made this book full of suspense was you kind of knew that everything would come out all right in the end but you never knew how this would happen. Also, the way Molly Hunter described things using figurative language was simply amazing. I recommend this book to any 5th and 6th graders who like adventure and suspense. I would happily rate this book, on a scale of 1-5, a 5.

If you happen to be young, beautiful, blond, and female, your chances of being abducted by a dark underworld spirit are significantly higher than that of your fellows. We're all familiar with the usual beautiful-girl-becomes-a-bride-below-the-ground tales told around the world. Everything from the myth of Persephone to the ever popular "Phantom of the Opera" is based on this story. Less popular, but no less interesting, is the beautiful-girl-becomes-a-bride-below-the-water school of storytelling. "A Stranger Came Ashore" belongs squarely in the latter category. In it, those dewey-eyed seals that look so doggone cute in nature documentaries turn out to hide far more sinister schemes behind their big brown eyes.

To begin, a stranger comes ashore. On a night of a dreadful shipwreak, a young man manages to drag himself into the happy home of young Robbie Henderson and his family. The family rushes to the conclusion that the man is a survivor of the ship below and they immediately take him into their lives. Once firmly ensconced in the home, the man (who goes by the name of Finn Learson - hint hint) does everything he can to win the family's trust and respect. This may have something to do with Robbie's beautiful blond sister Elspeth, a girl that Finn seems to have a definite interest in. When Robbie's dying grandfather informs him that there may be more to Finn than there seems and that Elspeth is in dire danger, Finn finds himself discovering the true nature that lurks behind Finn's gentle complexion. With the aid of the town's schoolteacher/wizard Yarl Corbie, the two form a plan to bring Finn to justice, one way or another.

Originally written in 1975, the book is just as lively and interesting today as it ever was. The idea that selkies (seals that can turn into humans when they choose by shedding their seal skin) are malevolent beasts instead of gentle ones is a particularly interesting idea. Hunter has gently combined selkies with goblins, making them creatures to be avoided at all costs. The book itself reads quickly and with a great deal of excitement. Like the far more contemporary author Susan Cooper, Hunter has a real grasp on the Shetland Islands of northern Britain and their inhabitants. The story in this book isn't particularly original in and of itself. Plus, she pretty much says right from the start who Finn is, only filling in some of the more interesting details later on down the road. I was also a little disappointed that there wasn't much in the way of character development going on here. Robbie becomes obsessed with the notion that Elspeth, at any moment, might find herself spirited away by a lustful suitor. But we never hear enough about Elspeth or her personality to wonder if this might really be a bad thing. Was she particularly close to Robbie? Was she a great person that it would be a shame to lose? Or is it just a case of Elspeth being community property that strangers have no right to take?

In many ways, "A Stranger Came Ashore" is a cautionary tale. Don't go around trusting fellows with funny accents who you take into your home out of the goodness of your heart. They'll stab you in the back they will! Such stories exist all over the world and they're ever-so-slightly-xenophobic for this reason. I'm not accusing this book of perpetuating hatred, or anything complicated like that. I'm just saying that this is obviously the moral lesson we're supposed to draw from it. Otherwise, it's a perfectly good fantasy tale for any kid interested in fairies, selkies, or just mysterious goings-ons in old Britain itself. The book's a good read and one that advertises itself as, "A Story of Suspense". I think that's a fairly accurate statement. If you find yourself getting invested in the story (which will take a little longer than you might hope) you'll enjoy its gripping storyline and threatening villain. A wonderful companion book to the more recent, "Hollow Kingdom" by Clare Dunkle. Give `em both a shot.

A Stranger Came Ashore

A Stranger Came Ashore is a mysterious book. It has lots of action scenes, and it is a great mystery book. It takes place in the Shetland Islands off the coast of Scotland. I thought it was going to be a boring book when we started reading it, but when we got further into it, the book turned out to be amazing. It held my attention all the way through. It is about a young boy named Robbie and his sister Janet. A stranger came to the island on a dark and stormy night. He gave his name as Finn Learson. His eye is caught by Elspeth, a beautiful young woman with long blonde hair. He begins to court her, while her boyfriend Nicol is courting her as well. Robbie doesn't want Elspeth to marry him, so he goes to the school master, Yarl Corbie(who is believed to practice magic)for help. Yarl Corbie promises to help Robbie if Robbie promises not to tell anyone that Yarl Corbie is helping him. Robbie thinks that Fin Learson is The Great Selkie. This book is a very powerful and suspenseful novel. The end is very suspenseful. To find out what happens you'll have to read the book yourself.

I have many personal reactions to the book "A Stranger Came Ashore." It was a very well-written book by Mollie Hunter that kept me satisfied and content. The story about the Henderson family will keep your mind and soul full of suspense. This is a book that you will never forget. This book is the type where you start out as just a normal person reading the book, but in the end wind up abnormal and full of imagination that keeps on going through your mind like how the thick red blood rushes through! You also might find this book quite as fascinating or exciting as in the end. Soon you will find out that you never want to put this book down. It very quickly becomes as addicting as a mini hand-held game! On a star rating ranging between 1-5, this book would get 5 big, sparkely stars that shine as bright as a gold coin found in the bottom of the ocean waters!!! Enjoy reading!

I read this book in school suspecting it to be dull and boring when it was the exact oppisite. A stranger come ashore is based on part of a keltic legend about selkies. Selkies are fallen angels whho sinned against heaven when it was shinning new. They are sometimes called sealmen. It was fun to read about all the old beliefs of these people. The story was about a young boy and his family and one rainy night a stranger washed up on shore and came to live in there house. Only the boy by the name of robbie thought something strange about this young man. After awhile they all noticed that the stranger seemed to like robbie's sister, Elspeth but she was already in love with a young man, Nicol. After awhile something changes her mind about Nicol and she starts to like the stranger. What is that changed her mind? And who will she marry? Read the book, anyone and everyone would love it!

A Stranger Came Ashore

I thought the book A Stranger Came Ashore was a great book. It was a great mystery book. It was also very exciting book that kept you on the edge of your seat. I could not wait to hear what was going to happen next in the book. When the teacher said we had to stop it almost made me go out and buy the book. That is how much I liked the book.

A Stranger Came Ashore

My personal recomandation for the book A Stranger Came Ashore. is if you like cliff hangers and where you like books that you just can't put down, this is defiantly the book for you! It has mysterious things happen in every paragraph,and every word you read just makes you quiver to find out what happens next! This is why I think you should read the book A Stranger Came Ashore by Mollie Hunter.

A Stranger Came Ashore

A Stranger Came Ashore is a great book because it has lots of action scenes. I thought it was going to be a boring book when my teacher started reading it but then it turned out to be great! It is about a boy named Robbie who lives in the Shetland Islands. One dark and stormy night a man named Finn Learson nearly falls into Robbie's house. He says that he had been a survivor of a ship, The Burden that had been wrecked from the storm. Everyone on the island thinks that Finn is a perfectly fine young man, but Robbie is suspicious. Many mysterious things happen to Robbie and his family later, but to find out what they are read this book. If you love action and mystery you will adore this book. It's suspenseful and scary in some parts. Once you get started reading this book you can't put it down. I really reccomend A Stranger Came Ashore if you are looking for an action filled book to read. I warn you if you don't have a lot of time to read don't read this book, because you might come to an exciting part and no longer be able to read. This book is full of suspense and when your reading it is not fun to have to stop when someone is hanging off a bridge and a boat is coming. This a wonderful book full of figurative language and interesting words. I think you should go on down to your local library or book store and check out or buy A Stranger Came Ashore by Mollie Hunter.