Abarat
Written by Clive Barker
Illustrated by Clive Barker
Reviewed by Alec S (age 10)
This excellent novel is about how Candy Quackenbush goes from the boring village of Chickentown to the exciting twenty-five islands of the Abarat. All the while, Mendelssohn Shape and the Lord of Midnight, Christopher Carrion, are chasing her. A particular part I enjoyed was when Candy rode on the graceful backs of the Sea-Skippers. She meets them by riding a wave right into their card table. Another captivating part of the story mentions John Mischief, whose eight brothers (all named John something) live on antlers on his head. But some of this book can be very creepy; in fact creepy enough to keep anyone awake at night. Christopher Carrion, the main villain of the story, breathes out of a tank of his nightmares. Tubes attached to his skull suck them right out of his brain so that he can breathe them back into his blood and brain. It's disgusting.
I loved this book because I enjoy immersing myself in fantasy. The author provided excellent illustrations; in fact so good they can be spooky. We're not talking about Halloween spooky, like "Boo!" We are talking about "Oh my God the Lord of Midnight is out to kill me!" spooky. This book is unique because of how real it seems. It is like nothing I have ever read.
I recommend this book to anyone who has ever thought about the possibility that there is another world out there. The story is captivating. The plot is amazing. All in all, this is a great book.