Customer Reviews

The Various (The Touchstone Trilogy)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this book at the request of my daughters but before either had a chance to read it, I picked it up, admiring the beautiful artwork on the cover. As I read the inside of the jacket, I thought to myself Hmmm...this looks interesting and opened to page one. Needless to say, neither of my girls have had the chance to read this book yet as I simply could not stop reading once I'd started. There are parts of the book that read like poetry and the artwork throughout, which was done by the author himself as well as the aforesaid cover, is just gorgeous. This is a beautiful, charming tale and what's really exciting is that apparently it's only the beginning - I see the author plans a trilogy. If you want to be completely caught up in a magical and miraculous world which combines both old-fashioned fantasy and a contemporary reality, this is a must read.

I read this book while I was on vacation, and once I started, I couldn't stop! In an age where original and innovative fantasy novels are difficult to come by, I'm usually a little bit wary when I pick up a new fantasy book. The idea of "faries" has been used so many times that I put off reading this book for a long time. I thought I could guess the entire plot by the book jacket. But I was wrong.

Steve Augarde takes the idea of "faries" and turns them into something new and unheard of. "The Various" have a unique culture of their own- different groups, social classes, and even a funny accent! You are easily drawn to the Various, even though they are so different. However, there are many noticeable similarities, too. The Various are not all good or all bad; Little-Marten is the cutest, most likable character in the book, while Scurl is evil, nasty, and should be stepped on.

The book was woven together nicely and flowed- some of the descriptions seemed almost poetic! The characters were well developed, and the story moved at a fast pace. I can't wait to read more of Augarde's writing!

Margaret

P.S Even though this takes place in England, you definitely don't have to live there to understand this novel!

Midge, a bored 12-year old city girl, is sent to spend a holiday with her Uncle, who lives in a converted mill high above the Somerset Levels. Midge finds herself unaccountably at home in her new surroundings, but soon her patience and resourcefulness is challenged, when she encounters a trapped and wounded tiny winged horse in an outhouse, a creature with which she feels an immediate affinity.

Midge's encounter leads to a meeting with members of the tribes of the Various, who inhabit nearby woodland and she discovers that these diverse creatures' habitat and, consequently, their survival is threatened by their gorji (human) neighbours.

This magical and often amusing first novel by Steve Augarde is written with a light and assured touch which will delight both adult and younger readers: - a book not to be missed.

I was surprised that I'm the first person not in the the UK to review this book. Although living in England might help you understand it a little better, the main storyline is universal: how do we know that "little people" such as fairies and leprechauns (it's the day after St. Patrick's Day so I had to include them) don't exist? Only a few centuries ago people thought mud gave birth to worms and hadn't even heard of many animals. In this story, the author makes you explore the possibility that there might be little people in your backyard--and you don't even know it!
13-year-old Midge has to stay at her Uncle's run-down farm while her mother is on a musical tour. In a pig-barn on the top of a hill some ways away from the farm, Midge finds Pegs, a miniature horse with bat-like wings that can speak to her mind. She is suddenly plunged into the world of the Various, tribes of knee-high people with varying abilities.You'll have to read the rest.
BUY THIS BOOK!!!!! It's really good even if it doesn't have as deep of a storyline as others such as Eragon (which I highly recommend if you're a fan of The Lord of the Rings). It has a light flavor but is still full of twists and turns. SO BUY IT!!!!

The Various was a most amazing read! I couldn't put it down from the first page -- the story sucked me in from the opening chapter. The heroine of the book, twelve year old Midge, is a bright, sensitive girl who is unknowingly drawn into a magical and dangerous world of a tribe of mystical little people who have lived amongst her family for years and years in the adjacent woods on her uncles farm. These are The Various  a group of two foot tall creatures consisting of a class system parallel to real life -- the Ickri  or the hunters and ruling class, the Tinklers  artistic cave dwellers, and the Troggles, who were considered the lower rung of society. But all existed peacefully together in their common struggle to survive in a modern, ever-changing world alongside the humans, or Gorgi giants as they are humorously called by the author, without being detected. Every single character was original and distinct and made an instant impression. The tale begins with Midges discovery of an injured tiny winged horse in an old barn on the property and takes the reader on an incredible journey from that point on. Will she discover the secrets of The Various? Will she help them survive? Or will they turn on Midge and her family as the enemy? The author is a master of setting up a scene and then drawing out suspense. There was an element of fear in some sections which had me on the edge of my bed, biting my nails, but nothing that would frighten a childit was more like ghost story scary. I turned page after page, wondering where it all would lead. and I never had a clue as to where it was headed, which added to the great enjoyment I had as a reader. This book has everything  its chock full of beautiful images, unique and startling characters, and dialogue that was offbeat, brilliant, and at times, very funny, making it one of the best I've ever read and I highly recommend that you pick this one up, whether you are an older child or teenager or even an adult.

I did not buy this book, it was a gift. A gift for which I shall be forever grateful. The start is a little slow whilst the author sets the scene. This is necessary for the future understanding of the happenings to come, but get passed this and I guarantee you will not wish to do anything else until you finish the book. You are drawn into this story so much so that at times you feel you are actually there watching and feeling their emotions and experiences such is the richly descriptive narrative. A book for me has to hold you spellbound and every page must say to you, `read the next page quickly'. The Various does this and more and I have to admit there were many mundane chores that were seriously neglected before the book was finished. The good news is that this is the first of a trilogy and I can go thru this wonderful experience all over again - twice.
More please......... quickly............

Sunday, April 11, 2004; Page D08

Twelve-year-old Midge, whose father is dead and whose mother is a concert violinist, has been shipped to spend the summer with her rather bumbling Uncle Brian. Midge has a strange sense of having been on the family's old farm in western England before, and almost immediately odd things start to happen.

For one, she discovers a tiny, wounded, winged horse. The horse leads her to several tribes of small beings, called "the Various." The creatures are barely eking out an existence in the woods on her uncle's property -- woods that are slated for development. When good-hearted Midge tries to warn the little people, some of them turn on her, and things go badly. Then her two cousins show up, complicating the already dangerous situation she has made for herself and for the Various.

This book mixes the fanciful with very real situations, such as missing a mom and not getting along with cousins. Midge and her family are easy to relate to and the Various are convincingly detailed, so you'll find yourself lost in this story. The magic seems real, the real seems magic and the book weaves a spell you'll be reluctant to break. Thankfully, it's the first in a trilogy.

© 2004 The Washington Post Company

As a teacher, I am constantly on the look out for new books which will not only hold the interest of my students and excite them but also, enable me to teach them the basics of great writing; namely, action, background, character development, dialogue, and climax. In Steve Augarde's The Various, all of these criteria are met with brilliance. I found this book to be extremely compelling and even though this is indeed written for a middle school-young teenaged audience, as an educator and adult I was captivated by the author's vivid imagination and writing style which, in a delightful change of pace, made no concessions to young readers in that he assumes, quite rightfully so, that children in that age bracket are capable of great understanding. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

The Various is the best book ever! It's like nothing I've read before and what I like best is that the author didn't dumb it down for us kids . The twelve and thirteen year old characters thought and acted just like all of my friends because they were funny and smart and made wise decisions on their own without help from any adults when faced with adversity. The book is about a girl named Midge who lives with her musician mum in the city. When her mum goes on tour with the orchestra one summer, Midge is sent to her Uncle Brian's farm in the country. Midge falls instantly in love with the place and has the strange sensation she's been there before. This odd feeling is just the beginning. As Midge investigates the property, she stumbles on an old barn, where she thinks she hears something calling out to her. What she discovers is a beautiful miniature winged horse who is trapped underneath heavy farm machinery and is horribly injured. I don't want to give away what happens next because this is one of the best chapters -- the whole time you don't know how it will all turn out and I don't want to ruin it for anyone here. But once she finds this horse, named Pegs. who speaks in colours to her and which I thought was just great, this leads her to Pegs' "family", a tribe of little people called The Various. The Various are not what they seem. While you might think they are magical pixies and fairies, they are also dangerous hunters with their own survival being their number one goal. They have suffered greatly at the hands of humans and modern development as years of new housing construction and technology are slowly killing them off and leaving them with no place to live. At first, Midge keeps their existence a secret, but when she is joined by her cousins Katie and George, she realizes she needs them as allies in her quest to help The Various because she learns that her uncle will soon be selling off part of his property where the tiny tribe lives because he needs the money. Midge's uncle is divorced and Katie and George live with their mother and come to the farm as part of their visitation agreement. George and Midge hit it off right away but Katie is annoyed to be in the country and is a year older and feels a bit superior, even though she's still only thirteen herself. At first I didn't like her at all, but as you will see when the book develops, the three kids are bound together by Midge's fantastic discovery of The Various and the final chapters of the book will have you glued to the pages. I think every kid and their parent should read The Various - I think it's totally awesome and I think it would make a wonderful movie, too.

I am a sixth grader. The book is about a girl of age twelve named Midge. Midge is not too happy with her mom. She has to go live with her uncle while her mom goes to a concert. When Midge arrives she decides she likes the place, it feels like home. She also has a strange feeling, like she has been there before. Not long after she arrives she discovers a tiny, wounded, winged horse trapped under a machine in an old shed on her uncle's property. She helps the horse in every way she can and it grows better. The Horse soon asks to be brought to the forest that is surrounded by impenetrable thorns that her uncle says he is going to sell. The horse brings her before the Various to tell them they are in grave danger because there home is going to be cut down by the people her uncle sells the house to. Midge is confused and afraid and cannot believe her eyes when she sees the tiny thing called the Various. When she tries to warn them of the coming danger some of them turn on her and Midge is now faced with real danger. She is frightened and has no idea what to do. This book was one of the best I've ever read! I liked this book because I love books about the "little people". This book was well written and was very descriptive which made it all the better.