KID REPORT
November 14, 2002
Inside the World of Abarat
TFK Kid Reporter Mia Kabasakalis reviews a new fantasy novel for kids
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Clive Barker has just written a new fantasy book that has enough creativity in it to compete with Harry Potter. It’s called Abarat. On a scale of one to ten, I think Harry Potter is an 8, and Abarat is a 12. If you like fantasy books, you’ll love Abarat.
Entering the Land of Abarat
The story is about Candy Quackenbush, a girl who lives in the most boring town in the world. Since she hates being bored, Candy leaves her town to find adventure and gets swept up into the land of the Abarat. She meets amazing creatures, some of which are very friendly, and some who are, well, not so nice. But then again, every book needs a few good villains.
My favorite part is the book’s amazing characters and Barker’s fanciful illustrations. It’s almost as if Barker tapped into the imagination of a typical 10-year old, found some astounding creatures, and brought them to life. My favorite character (besides Candy, of course) is John Mischief, a man who is almost human, except that he has two horns on his head. The antlers are home to the heads of Mischief’s seven brothers. Their sibling rivalry throughout the book is fun. Barker painted the book’s illustrations himself; they’re vivid, extremely colorful, and more than a little unusual.
Dilemma Trouble
The one flaw in the book is its thin plot. In most stories, the protagonist bumps into a problem and solves it by the end of the narrative. However, in Abarat, Candy doesn’t really have a big dilemma. She just travels from island to island. (There are 25 in the Abarat.) Even though each island is distinct and beautifully described, Candy’s journey has no purpose. But maybe the plot will thicken in the sequel. Barker has three more books in the series.
Other than plot flaws, I really enjoyed the book. There was suspense and I never got tired of looking at the pictures. Overall, I think kids will like this book. It’s full of creativity, beautiful illustrations, and great characters.
