Vango: Between Sky and Earth

By Author / Illustrator

Timothee de Fombelle

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

11+

Publisher

Walker Books Ltd

ISBN

9781406330922

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

01-05-2014

Synopsis

A gripping mystery-adventure about a desperate search for identity by critically acclaimed author, Timothee de Fombelle.

In a world between wars, Vango is on the cusp of taking priestly vows when he is suddenly made a fugitive. Fleeing from the police who blame him for murder, as well as more sinister forces with darker intentions, Vango attempts to trace the secrets of his shrouded past and prove his innocence before all is lost. This is a breathless and highly cinematic story that follows Vango from Scotland to the Soviet Union and from the rooftops of Paris to Nazi Germany. Centred on a mysterious, unforgettable, and romantic protagonist, Vango tells a thrilling story sure to captivate lovers of daring escapades and subversive literary heroes.

Reviews

I did not want to read this book, the cover was just so...unattractive. And the thickness of the book - groan. HOWEVER, woo hoo! The plot is good, though it does jump around a lot. You will need your brain in ON mode to follow the story. The book has been translated from French into English, but only occasionally do you get a whiff of translation.
The tale is set in the 1930s, it is brimming with adventure, suspense, mystery, fast chases, murder, a zeppelin, lots of roof tops, islands, and kindness. And there is just a little bit of romance.
The characters are beautifully created, they are human and believable.
In my opinion, if you liked 'Airman' by Eoin Colfer then you will like this.
Unfortunately, there are two more books in the series (hopefully not over 400 pages long) so that's my budget and my sleep out of the window. In other words, I loved this story and I couldn't put it down.
430 pages / Age 12+ / Reviewed by Paula Hazlehurst, librarian