A Song for Ella Grey

According to the blurb for A Song for Ella Grey, this is 'The most beautiful book you'll read this year' - and, for me, that was true. I loved it. A modern interpretation of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, this novel is told from Claire's viewpoint. It describes her life from age five to 17 with her best friend Ella Grey. At the start of this summer, they were 17 years old; this evoked my memories from that magical age - no responsibilities, carefree, cushioned by parental love. We could do anything and everything was possible.

Almond's love of the Northumbrian countryside and coastline is demonstrated by his description of the surroundings of the young people in the story. Even without knowing the area, you can feel the magic in his words when describing the sheer joy of life for the young lovers as well as their friends. Although I was familiar with the myth, I was still shocked with moments of the story. So for those readers who don't know the story, they too will experience a severe loss.  A section of the story is produced on black paper - a symbolic interpretation of life in the Underworld. It all seems so believable, so the shock when Orpheus looks behind him is equally devastating.

Almond has mixed up the everyday of school, exams and parental concerns for their children and their revision with legendary love at first sight and tragic loss. This must resonate with teenage angst, enabling its intended audience to identify immediately with the group of young people. Everyone loved Orpheus -- girls and men, and there is a hint of dealing with teenage anxieties of sexual preference without the need to be explicit. A beautiful, layered read.

288 pages / Ages 12+ / Reviewed by Dawn Woods, school librarian

Suggested Reading Age 11+

Because it is told from an interesting stand point; an onlooker, not a main character. The imagery is beautiful and very emotional and it summarizes youth incredibly realistically. Almond clearly understands what it's like to be a teenager.

Suggested Reading Age 14+

I found this book ok. It was a bit too lovey for my liking, and some parts of it didn't make much sense from my standpoint.

Suggested Reading Age 14+

I have enjoyed books by David Almond before, such as Skellig, so I had very high hopes for this book. Having finished this book nearly a week ago, I'm still unsure about whether it fulfilled them or not. The plot of A Song for Ella Grey was supposed to be filled with mystery and questions - which it was - but I feel like David Almond wrote it in a style that left a little too much to the imagination. Unfortunately that meant that there was very little detail about what happened. There were whole plot lines and characters that had not been explained at all, which I found disappointing. However, I did feel like this lack of clarity added something to the overall experience of the book. I would recommend this book to people who are willing to try a new style of writing and people who like being able to fill in gaps with their own imagination.

Suggested Reading Age 11+

It is a moving, powerful novel of love and passion and what goes on beyond the gates of death. A weird and wonderful book for those with a wild imagination!

Suggested Reading Age 11+