Tuesday, March 5, 2013

The Stolen by Alex Shearer

This book proves once again that there are lots of really good unknown titles that should be more famous. Sadly, fame is a limited commodity. Oh well, if you read this, and you happen to like a YA story about witches and stolen bodies, go and get this book right now! It's really worth the read.

The story centers around Carly and her new 'friend' Meredith. I use quotation marks because Meredith is like Haibara Ai but less likable (Haibara is a character from Detective Conan, and she acts like an adult). But then, Carly discovers that Meredith is actually a witch who stole her body. The real Meredith is actually the old woman Meredith claims is her grandmother. And so, Carly tries to help right this wrong.

What I love about this story was Carly. She's this really talkative girl who wants a sister/special friend. I wasn't sure if I'd love the story in the first chapter (This story is told from the first person point of view), but I fell in love with her voice and character. She's a truly likable heroine.

Another thing about this story is that it explores the youth/age idea. I think it's a very good wake-up call to all those young kids complaining about their lives. At least they have the energy to complain (I certainly don't). It's also a really good portrayal of how sometimes adults and kids can be condescending to the elderly - especially when you think the elderly in question has lost her mind. My heart just broke at some of the treatment that went on in the book.

My only complaint about the book is that they took Necromancy to be about magic. Strictly speaking, it's about raising the dead, which no one should do because it goes against the will of God (you shouldn't even be doing witchcraft in the first place). But that's me being anal about details.

Overall, this is a really enjoyable book. It's targeted at younger kids, but it'll probably appeal to older kids too.

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