Customer Reviews

Kit's Wilderness (Galaxy Children's Large Print Books)

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(24)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Like Richard Cormier's books, this "Young Adult" novel is not just for those under 20.

Nothing is black and white, everything is poetic, mysterious and slightly cloudy in this original, enticing novel by David Almond.

The opening chapters look morbid - Kit is new to the community where his ailing granddad grew up, a mining town in England. He's reluctantly drawn into a group led by the dark and sinister John Askew, the son of the town alcoholic. These kids play a game called "Death" - Askew holds a knife to the one chosen in a spin-the-bottle selection, and takes them into the deep dark mine and leaves them there. The Dead One emerges moments or hours later, claiming to have been truly dead.

I got that far and thought this book wasn't for me - surely something evil was going to happen to Kit who was drawn both to Askew and the game.

I pushed on, and was greatly rewarded. Kit struggles with his wish to believe that no matter what others may say about someone, there is a goodness within all, waiting to be recognized and invited out. He expresses this through a story within-the-story, that ties in with Askew's disappearance, his own grandfather's preparation for dying (wonderfully handled) and his shadowy visions of many children - one special one named Silky - who died years ago in the mines.

Although I saw this somewhere referred to as like Harry Potter, I'd have to say it's not - the audience for this book is looking for more substance than entertainment (and I LOVE Harry Potter books).

An excellent read!

Kit's Wilderness is my favorite book. Better than harry potter. The description is amazing. At parts, I actually thought that I was Kit. But I always felt that I was in the book. David Almond provides the most wonderful story and description a book could have!

This book is so compelling. The dark is so dark. John Askew and his deathgame, his scary family life, and the history of death in the mines will attract many young readers and adult readers alike. The light is so warm. Kit's relationship with his grandfather, his friendship with Allie, the joy Kit finds in his writing, and his compassion and need to help John leave one with such a good feeling. David Almond is a very gifted writer! Read this book! I say Newbery!

After reading Skellig to my son, we couldn't wait for Kit's Wilderness. But it was worth the wait. Like Skellig, Kit's Wilderness is dark and mysterious, with the reader left to answer many questions on his own. Almond's books are a great transition from typical kid's literature (e.g. Harry Potter) to a more adult reading experience, in which the reader has to draw his own conclusions about the characters and their actions. But this is also a terrific read for adults. I am anxiously waiting for more from David Almond.

David Almond delivers a sophisticated and eerie ghost story that mixes myth and urban legends into a creepy and utterly engaging novel. What an interesting follow up to his gentle first book, Skellig. Kit's Wilderness shows the development of this great talent and a deep respect for readers of all ages. Kit's intuition and insight into the relationships around him are true and sensory. Can't wait to see what he does next!

One of the best books I ever read was "Kit's Wilderness". Nothing anyone could have told me about this book would have prepared me for the drama within its pages. From the beginning, I was amazed by the characters and the way they introduce themselves. Kit just moved in and this is a story within itself. John Askew's personality is different inside and out. Allie has a background in Kit's family which adds an element of surprise to the book, and connects many loose ends together. This book takes place in an old mining town and it is a collection of tales from the mining times woven together into one plot line. Most of the families living in Stoneygate have ancestors that died in the terrible mine disaster years earlier. The tragedy and horror was passed down from generation to generation. Kit's grandpa had worked in the mine when he was younger. He told Kit, "It was very deep, Kit. Very dark. And every one of us was scared of it. As a lad I'd wake up trembling, knowing that as a Watson born in Stoneygate I'd soon be following my ancestors into the pit." All of the old mining families' children participate in a game. A game with death as its initiation process. Before Kit's death Askew whispers to him ever so softly, "This is not a game. You will truly die. All you see and all you know will disappear. It is the end. You will be no more." This plot really grips your soul. It gives the book life, and makes the reader become part of this possibly deadly game.

When I first picked up "Kit's Wilderness", I didn't really think that I would love it the way I did. I opened it up and within the 1st of the it's short chapters, I knew that I wouldn't be able to put it down! It is writted in such a way. I would describe this style as very... "prosey". It really kept me hooked. Kit is a newcomer to the town that his ancestors have lived in forever. He plays a game called "Death" and it changes his life. He must face his past with another boy and together, they will discover the secrets of the town's distant past... And well beyond that. This story is truly wonderful! You have to add it to your collections!

I remember reading David Almond's first children's book, "Skellig" and being vaguely impressed. The book had some interesting ideas and the author was obviously adept at tying in different running themes throughout the book's narrative. This seemed to be his strong point and, I suspect, the reason his books are so often chosen to be read by kids in school. But nothing in "Skellig" really blew me away. I mean, it was nice but a little overdone. The character of Skellig himself was fascinating, but I didn't particularly care much for the other people in the story. All in all, it had the distinct feel of a first work. Then I heard a great deal of good things about Almond's second book, "Kit's Wilderness". Under the mistaken impression that the book was a Holocaust novel (a quick glance of the cover is enough to explain where I got that particular idea) I picked it up and quickly devoured it. To my delight, the book is incredibly strong. Almond has retained his love of grand all encompassing themes, and fit them within the confines of a small perfect novel. "Kit's Wilderness" is a remarkably strong creation.

The death of Kit's grandmother brings the boy and his family to the coal-mining town of Stoneygate to live. For generations Kit's family has lived and worked in the dark dangerous coal filled caverns beneath the ground. With his grandfather's failing health on his mind, Kit finds himself drawn to fellow student and dark ally John Askew. John and Kit share ancient ancestors in the mines and both are drawn to the darkest parts of their own souls. With John as a guide, Kit and a few chosen others (including the light and bright Allie Keenan) play a primal game called Death that allows them to experience one of humanity's oldest mysteries. When the game is found out, John turns on the world and Kit must use all his resources to draw his friend and his grandfather out of the dark and back into the light of life.

Playing with images of mines, death, nothingness, cavemen, ancient primordial creatures, and the nature of human evil, the book skillfully ties together a number of fascinating themes. Almond is at his best with this book. Having grown up in his own northeastern English mining village, he knows from which he speaks. You never really fear that Kit will become as enraptured with the notion of death as Askew is, but neither does he fully embrace the life around him as Allie does. It's only when he begins to write his own stories (including an all-encompassing tale of a prehistoric boy named Lak) that he gains some perspective on himself and his dark-obsessed friend. Kit's ability to see the ghosts of the past, ghosts so far reaching that he actually meets and interacts with his caveman's mother, is both metaphor and the true soul of the tale. With so many different threads of plot and action circling about this book, I wouldn't have blamed Almond at all if he'd dropped the ball in some way. Instead, he deftly maintains each storyline perfectly, tying them all together at the end. It's enough to take your breath away.

In many ways, "Kit's Wilderness" reminded me greatly of Alan Garner's 1976 classic, "The Stone Book", which also tied the beginnings of life to the nature of life on earth and the working man's lot. If you've enjoyed "Kit's Wilderness" then Garner's classic text is an obvious companion piece. I was greatly relieved to find "Kit's" such an enjoyable read as well. Almond's evocative reminices of snow and frozen winter reminded me of the best parts of "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe". In the end, the book is about living life and how we as humans can't help but be drawn to its absence sometimes. This book is about our fascination with the horrific and what it takes to grab onto living. Almond's come a long way since, "Skellig". "Kit's Wilderness" is a fine piece of work.

I only listened to this book on tape because I am an avid fan of Charles Keating. I was not disappointed by his reading or the beautiful lyrical prose of writer David Almond. The book may be for young readers, but it has all the intrigue and interest to keep any adult reader longing for more. Since coming across this book, I have read Almond's first novel and can't wait for his latest to arrive in stores.

How connected to one's ancestors are today's children? The loss of the extended family, single-parent households, and blended families make this a difficult endeavor. But, for Christopher Watson, a 13 year old boy from the coal mining town of Stoneygate, finding the connection to his past almost breaks his hold on the present. Kit's family moves back to Stoneygate after the death of his grandmother to care for his grandfather. There Kit discovers a Christopher Watson of long, long ago. A boy of thirteen, like himself, whose life was cut short by a harsh life in the coal mines. Does John Askew, the town bad boy, have answers to the questions Kit asks? Does Kit's ailing grandpa's failing memory? Or do the answers lie in the frightening game called "Death" that the children play in the abandoned mines? David Almond's haunting lyrical prose tells a mystical story of self-discovery. The dark side frightens us, the bright side holds us, and together they create a YA novel that is hard to put down and even harder to forget.