Well, that was excellent. This book is a brief mouthful of myth and hope and atmosphere. Reasons to read it?1. There's a magical, irritable man in the narrator's garage. He likes Chinese take out and dead mice.2. There is a wise and judgmental girl-neighbor who becomes the narrator's best friend.3. There is no kissing.4. There is warming family dynamic: the narrator is afraid his sickly baby sister will die.5. There are teachers and parents and grown-ups who aren't idiots, assholes, or antagonis...

“Don’t be angry. Be my friend.” – David Almond, SkelligWritten in 1998, Skellig is a young adult fantasy novella which focuses on a young boy named Michael. He is experiencing multiple high stress events in his life. He has moved into a very creepy old house, and his mother has just given birth to a newborn sister. His sister is extremely ill, and it is uncertain whether she will live. One day, Michael wanders into the garage and discovers a very strange man. Who is this man? Will Michael’s sist...

My daughter stands in front of her overflowing bookshelf, where her brothers put books they consider "for younger readers". What shall I read? She only has about eight books on a pile next to her bed, so it is definitely a question of existential importance...She finds Skellig, takes it out, and I am secretly watching her, knowing she will be in for a rare treat!This is a beautiful book, not only for children. Michael's life has been turned upside down by the serious illness of his baby sister.

‎Skellig (Skellig #1), David AlmondSkellig is a children's novel by the British author David Almond, published by Hodder in 1998. Twelve years old Michael, and his family, have recently moved into a house. He and his parents are nervous, as his new baby sister was born earlier than expected, and may not live because of a heart condition. When Michael goes into the garage, he finds a strange emaciated creature hidden amid all the boxes, debris and dead insects. Michael assumes that he is a homele...

I read this about ten years ago now, and I’d completely forgotten about how much I loved it at the time. As soon as I picked it up and began reading it again I remembered why. The story of the rebirth of Skellig is a wonderful little tale; it is an allegory for the ever evolving nature of man, and how perhaps he may not have reached his full evolutionary potential. I didn’t realise this at the time when I first read because I was only ten, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Therefore, this is a book

3.5 stars. Lovely little fable, only 170 pages I finished it pretty quickly and really enjoyed it. Sweet tale of friendship, family, love and imagination. Michael finds what he assumes to be a homeless man - hiding out in the garage of the new house he has moved into with his parents and baby sister.What follows is a tremendous story of this man - known as Skellig, and the change he brings about both physically and emotionally to Michael's family, without ever being seen by anyone other than Mic...

i'm no teen, so i can't adequately judge this. it seems more interesting than some of the teen fiction books out back when i was wee, but more like a fable or a fairy tale than a full length novel. not a waste of an hour and a half....come to my blog!

I wept. Buckets. And was happier for it.My son had this book for a school project so I read it to help him out. He had to prise it from my fingers after an hour and a half, and I wanted to go back and read it again. It embodies all that I think is good in Young Adult fiction, an unspoiled, simple but honest and direct approach - the themes are complex, but the storytelling is pure. I think adult fiction is just too pretentious sometimes, and this shows how a story can be emotive, mystical and wi...

"David Almond's lyrical tale of the angel Skellig is written with delicacy and restraint, and tells a story of love and faith with exquisite, heart-fluttering tenderness. It is an extraordinarily profound book, no matter how old the reader."—Chair of the Whitbread Judging PanelTen year old Michael is not a happy boy. His family have moved into a dilapidated home in Falconer Road, which is in bad need of repair. Previously owned by a deceased old man called Ernie, the yard is completely overgrown...

I read this because in one of Nick Hornby's Believer columns he mentioned this was supposed to be the best YA book of all time. I don't know where he got this information, maybe from the ALA or some other three letter group. He gave it a glowing review so I thought I'd read it. My first thought after reading it was that if it had been an adult novel I would have loved it. As a novel it felt more like a very nice sketch of an interesting and magical story than what I would like from a finished bo...

Elegant cover,Superb title,and what a story! ♡ Absolutely brilliant. I truly adore this loving, fascinating & quick read book.

It's odd. The first time I read anything that could be considered Magical Realism, I was super impressed by the subtlety and the grounding of the tale, as if it was mostly traditional fiction bordering on allegory, only milder.After a certain point, each Magical Realism tale sits rather more blandly than the last.It's Fantasy-lite. For those people who are scared of using their imaginations but like a little bit of awe, a little bit of wonder. Imagine such a person saying, "Oh, no, I'd never rea...

My first Almond: it was a memorable reading experience. “What are you?" I whispered.He shrugged again."Something," he said. "Something like you, something like a beast, something like a bird, something like an angel." He laughed. "Something like that." Poetic, magical, mysterious, and thought-provoking. Very unique. "What is is?""I don’t know. I don’t even know if it’s true or if it’s a dream.""That’s alright. Truth and Dreams are always getting muddled." Recommended!

It's a story full of mystery and also reality of our lives, I enjoyed the story and the way it was written as a teenager and I still love reviewing it...

It's hard to be a cynic, much less a hatah when you have something pure like this. This may not be my favorite book, but I can't say that I didn't enjoy giving up a few hours on a Wednesday night to visit Michael's world.When I was little and told to say my prayers (by hypocritical lapsed catholics, by the way) I would start by asking that my family be safe (yeah, that didn't work out so well now, did it?) and then hit the trivial things like asking that Jimmy Watts would notice me or maybe my m...

I read this book because of its review in one of Nick Hornby's Believer columns. His high praise and its referencing of William Blake sold me. It's an imaginative tale, touching and sweet but not saccharine; simply told, but with lots to think about; and suitable for its target audience of ages 8 to 12, but interesting enough for an adult (me) to keep reading and thinking. Plus I learned some new things about owls.The story reminds me a little bit of something Neil Gaiman might write; but despit...

I have to say if you asked me last week whether I had read Skellig by David Almond I would have looked at you blankly for a bit and then said “Well, I have a feeling I read it in primary school. No, I definitely did. But I can’t really remember what happens in it.”I realise that that kind of means that I saw it as forgettable but please bear in mind it was about thirteen years ago and I have a horrible memory for books. Seriously, I can forget my favourite books that I’ve only just put down and

Well this was an unusual read! This is an original telling of a story about a family going through a difficult time of uncertainty with their newest member, a baby girl. I loved how close-knit the family was and how they took time for each other and supported each other. I almost believed their love alone might heal their baby! The element of fantasy certainly kept things interesting. The response of one of the surgeons in the hospital was unexpected, especially that he took the time to respond

Strange ReadThis sounded like an interesting book, and it was. It was a five-star read, only fantasy books leave me feeling strange, which is why I don’t normally read them, and I don’t know why. Yet, they are also like dreams, and yet, I often like my own dreams, or I should say, sometimes I like them. It began when a young boy and his parents move into a new house, and the boy finds a Carriage House on the property and begins to check it out. It will be demolished soon and isn’t safe to be ins...

Magical, philosophical, touching and sweet. 'So he took his wings and fled:Then the morn blush'd rosy red.'

6.258965 starsI first read Skellig a number of years ago and instantly fell in love with it. I was fortunate enough to not have the story pushed on me at school and instead find it on my own after leaving school. I now read it at least once every year. It is by far one of my all time favourite stories ever. The past couple of reads have been listening to the audiobook during my daily walks/train journeys and it’s just delightful.Skellig is, on the surface, a story about a boy (Michael) who finds...

Love this book. What a creation of a character Skellig is. Obvs I am a huge fan of Almond. Not just because he grew up in the streets around the corner from my house, but because his story telling is so wonderful. You go on a journey with the characters and root for them to do well.I remember the look on my Y5 class' face when they saw a trail of white feathers outside of the classroom, leading to a bunch of boxes at the back. Brilliant!!!!

4.5 Stars for Skellig (audiobook) by David Almond read by the author. This is a really charming YA story. The author did a great job narrating.

2.5 starsThis was just weird. It's very difficult to rate because it's just so strange, so I'm rating it based on how much I enjoyed it, which was not very much. Aside from Mina, none of the characters were very likeable, and I didn't get the whole angel thing, plus the writing was dull. Not recommended.

This is a beautiful book about the interconnectedness of humans, nature (animals, specifically), and celestial beings. I love the genre of magical realism, and this book falls right into that. The concept is unique, and I really like the main characters, Michael, Mina, and Skellig. The concept sort of reminds me of the chapter in Mary Poppins that deals with Michael and Jane's younger siblings, which puts forth the idea that babies can talk to animals but lose the ability as they get older and b...

Dear Amber, I fear my feelings about Skellig are going to disappoint you. I didn't love it. Now that could be because it came to me too late in life to truly adore the story of the strange owl/angel/man, or perhaps I am too damn jaded, or it could just be that I no longer seem able to completely enjoy something just for the sake of enjoyment. I don't like that about me, but there it is. Don't get me wrong. I liked Skellig plenty. I liked it enough that I've recommended it to Te and Los, and Scou...

I audiobook'd this because it was so short I could finish it in less than a week and because I have been on this YAF kick for the last three decades or so. The audio book is read by the author, who has a delightful accent, which greatly enriched my audio book experience. The plot is far from terribly original. Boy's life is in upheaval (new house, new neighborhood, new neighbors, new baby sister). Boy makes new friend. Boy finds something magical, shares with new friend, has enlightening, magica...

I've read some of the positive and negative reviews, and frankly agree wholeheartedly with the positive ones, and am puzzled by the negative. This is one of those types of young adult fiction novels that folks of all ages can enjoy, and take something great away from the experience. There aren't cruel parents; they are loving and caring, and sometimes fallible. There aren't cruel children, just confused, joyful, emotional, and fearful REAL ones. There aren't cruel teachers, but caring and intere...

This book is mysterious. It is thought-provoking. It creates many questions and offers no obvious solutions. It makes me cringe and yet want to keep reading. Somehow all of this works together to create a piece of beauty. The characters are dynamic and fascinating, and the scenes are crafted exceptionally well. I don't know what else to say, but it is just one of those books that everyone should read once both because it is so interesting but also because the novel deserves so much credit!

After looking at the length of this book, and reading the synopsis, I thought it was just another run-of-the-mill fantasy story. However, I was amazed at how much story and feeling David Almond was able to discuss in the short duration of the novel. He effortlessly contrasted light and dark, all the time making his characters human and believable. I was especially surprised at his ability to intertwine the poetry of William Blake, as well as some Greek mythology and archaeology, into the realist...