Skellig by David Almond

Welcome back to books fc!

The experts have discovered a new hobby! As well as reviewing books, they now also enjoy debating.

Debating is when two people have the opposite opinion and both tell the other person they are wrong. Most recently, the experts have been debating environmental issues. Mad Scientist thinks the only light switch that should be turned on is the one in his room. This will save electricity, he argues, and eventually the world too. Striker has the opposite opinion. He thinks lights should be on in every room, just in case he wants to go into one of those rooms. This will also save the world, he argues, from being a dark place. Often the debate ends with a vote. This is when two people decide they were right all along. When the experts vote, Mad Scientist runs around telling everyone the world is about to end, Striker runs around turning all the lights on, and Party Rocker runs around turning every speaker onto full volume. Then no-one is happy, except the pet marsupial mole rat, who happens to be unable to see or hear.

In between debates, the experts also managed to find time to review Skellig by David Almond. This book was previously reviewed by another so called expert as 'profound' and 'visionary'. To their credit, the experts at books fc were determined not to let that put them off, and decided to read it anyway.

Mad Scientist: On the positive side: a book with a brain! Fiction with a dash of non fiction. Skellig is both fantastical and realistic. It touches on evolution, and explains pneumatisation. On the negative side: not scientific enough. I wanted Skellig dissected. And why were there no diagrams? So, overall 3.33 stars

Party Rocker: I've told you before. I don't review books with fairies on the front.

Striker: Well, I liked it. It had some really long words (see above), and some really big ideas (also see above), and at the end of the first chapter I thought it was going to be a bit freaky. But it wasn't. It was just good. I really liked the bits where Micheal went out and played football with his friends, like me, and the bits about his poorly baby sister, who had to go to hospital. There was nothing about fairies. Skellig just wasn't a fairy. So there! 4 stars.

Party Rocker: He had wings. He was a fairy. End of.

Striker: He wasn't. He was a cross between an angel and a tramp.

Flower Power: Oh, I've seen that movie. That's the one where they fall in love and have lots of puppies at the end.

Party Rocker: I've told you before, this is supposed to be a book review blog!

Flower Power: Oh, I've read the book too. It was called... (scratches her head)... I know! Lady and the Tramp. And I loved it! 5 stars.

Striker: Me too. I liked Lady and the Tramp. Particularly the tramp. Also 5 stars.

Mad Scientist: (to Party Rocker): Do you want to tell them or shall I?

Party Rocker: I'll tell 'em. (turning to Striker and Flower Power) I don't review books with fairies on the front or books made by Disney. So there. End of.

So, Skellig, by David Almond, comes out with 3 profound stars, plus 1 sneaky star thanks to Lady and the Tramp.