Book Review - 'Skellig' by David Almond

2021 EDIT: Maybe I was not in the right mood to read this again, but now I find 'Skellig' to be quite boring, uneventful and repetitive.

First obvious problem: Why did Michael's family move to such a dilapidated house to begin with? Did one of his parents have a new job? (It's not clear in the slightest what they do for a living). It's not far from where they used to live, so... what? Second obvious problem: Why would anyone sell a dilapidated and messy house, one that hasn't been cleaned out in decades, to a family that includes a heavily pregnant woman? Does the house have anything to do with the premature birth? Third obvious problem: Why doesn't any hired help get around to cleaning and clearing everything out already? There's a sickly newborn living there now (spitting in the face of common sense, morals and ethics), as well as another kid; so there is a rush and much at stake here!

And why don't they name that baby already?

Mina, Michael's new neighbour and friend, is every inch the pretentious Manic Pixie Dream Girl. Homeschooled, an art wiz, a poetry wiz, a science wiz, and talks and acts like an unearthly angel of philosophy (Michael even refers to her as something to that effect near the end of the book). No child like her exists. There is also character inconsistency (especially with Michael's parents), and child characters saying "Bollocks", "Bloody", and "Bloody hell" a lot for pages at a time. This is meant to be a children's book, right?

I wasn't completely unengaged and distant from the narrative, however. The writing is fine, aside from the dry repetition of words, phrases and actions. There's no upfront antagonist. I like Skellig himself, and the theme and symbolism he represents in Michael's coming-of-age story, full of sadness and childlike confusion.

So 'Skellig' is fine for a quick and simple middle-school/YA novella. There are more interesting books out there, that's all. A book containing similar themes, 'A Monster Calls', is better; it's stronger, more heart-wrenching, more terrifying, more real, and far less pretentious.

Final Score: 2/5





An ethereal, touching little book for all ages. If only I'd read it in school when I had so many opportunities (though I don't think there was ever a copy in my library). It just happened to be in my local charity shop for well under £1, and voila! I got into it right away.

'Skellig' is an ambiguous, magical realism tale told by a young boy who is dealing with so many changes - internally and externally - and foreboding layers of death in his life. With its quick and seemingly simple writing style for children, it is very easy to get sucked into this lovely and symbolic book; so much so that it can be read within a day. A brief but beautiful experience in the dull, hopeless winter months.

'Skellig' has themes of family, friendship, grief, responsibility, faith, moving forward, and change in childhood. It could be called a first-stage 'A Monster Calls' for younger readers, who are just getting a taste of what grief is like and the horrible, confusing feelings that come with it.

Overall, 'Skellig' is a nice story with no antagonist (except fate itself, maybe), and with only a few instances of uncalled-for nastiness throughout. Addictive and wonderful even in its hard parts, I hold David Almond's magnum opus belatedly near and dear to my heart, of which it has plenty of.

Final Score: 4/5