Abarat

No cover

Abarat (2003, Turtleback Books Distributed by Demco Media)

unknown binding

English language

Published Oct. 11, 2003 by Turtleback Books Distributed by Demco Media.

ISBN:
9780606294232

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4 stars (2 reviews)

Candy Quackenbush, a sixteen-year-old girl, is bored with her life and is desperate for something new. She lives in Chickentown, Minnesota, has a drunkard father, and is often made fun of by other kids. One day at school, a strange image enters her head, and she draws it in a textbook. When her teacher notices, she is furious, and Candy has the sudden impulse to simply walk out of school. She wanders around town before coming to a vast field with an old lighthouse, and wonders why there would be a lighthouse where there is no sea for thousands of miles. She soon has her answer. Candy is thrust into the Abarat, a fantastic archipelago of twenty-five islands: one for each hour of the day, plus one extra: the mysterious Time Out of Time. Candy feels as if this place is familiar to her, and makes many friends, but all …

11 editions

Review of 'Abarat' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

I didn't realize that this was the first of a series (apparently of four books). It's frustrating to expect a book to resolve, only to find that it ends pretty abruptly. I had a sneaking suspicion towards the end that there wasn't space to satisfactorily resolve all of the plot threads in the time left, but I was ambushed by the fact that there is a substantial Appendix.

That aside, I liked the book. Creative. Surprising. More depth and darkness than a lot of books for children. The paintings add a lot. I look forward to the rest of the series.

avatar for ukaunz

rated it

3 stars

Subjects

  • Action & Adventure - General
  • Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic
  • Action & Adventure
  • Children's 9-12 - Fiction - Fantasy