Reviews

Glaise by David Almond, David Almond

chantelleatkinswriter's review against another edition

5.0

Another unsettling and thought-provoking book by David Almond. Myself and my son are working our way through his books and although Kit's Wilderness is still my favourite, this one must come pretty close. Davie and Geordie are two young teens whose main problems involve the local bully 'Mouldy'. When a strange new boy called Stephen Rose moves in with his Aunt, a lady known around town as 'Crazy Mary', the two boys are urged to befriend him and help him get over his traumatic past. As altar boys, Geordie and Davie are looked upon as 'good boys'. Geordie is unnerved by Stephen, who takes an instant like to Davie, and there is soon a rift between the two old friends. Stephen has a way of making Davie do what he wants him to do, and has a unique way of solving the Mouldy problem. Stephen is able to bring clay to life with his hands, and Davie, though frightened of the new boy, is also entranced and under his spell, and joins him in making a monster of a man they call Clay. Like many of Almond's books, the novel covers so many universal themes, that you cannot help but relate to it. The characters are superb and just march right off the page and into your mind. This particular novel examines themes such as the meaning of life, death, God and religion in such a simple, childlike way, that you almost miss it. With echoes of Frankenstein, this is an eerie and unsettling read which I will think about for some time!

hitzuji's review against another edition

4.0

Está bien raro y medio creepy, me gustó :3

kiwikathleen's review against another edition

3.0

I'm not sure what to make of this book. I thought it really well-written and engaging, but I was never able to decide whether the story the boy told was his imagination or reality.

readersaurusrobin's review against another edition

5.0

Another David Almond story that takes you deep into the strange, magical,and dangerous lives of kids.

vinpauld's review against another edition

3.0

Having loved 'Skellig' and 'Kit’s Wilderness,' and having read some glowing reviews for this book, I began ‘Clay’ with high expectations. I’m sorry to say I was somewhat disappointed. It’s hard for me to pinpoint exactly what didn’t work for me in this story, so I’ll start with what I liked about it. David Almond is great when it comes to writing natural sounding dialogue. He seems to understand the rhythm of how children and teenagers speak and his conversations between characters are always believable. This book does manage to contain some genuine chills, especially when the author begins to reveal Stephen’s sinister intentions. One of the themes of the book is whether or not evil (and God for that matter) actually exists. A discussion of this subject between Davie, the main character and his confessor comes late in the book, but it is something I wish had been brought up earlier. I liked the portrayal of friendship between Davie and his friend Geordie, but it gets shuffled to the sidelines once Davie becomes more under the influence of Stephen. I felt there was missed potential in developing the relationship between Davie and Stephen. Stephen is portrayed as a one-note, creepy, Svengali-like character and Davie seems to follow him too easily. Early on Davie questions acts he sees Stephen perform, but as the events get more fantastic, he never seems to wonder if maybe these things might only be happening in his own mind. Davie never seems to question the hypnotic influence that Stephen might have over him. This seems somewhat odd especially after Davie has witnessed Stephen manipulating his aunt through what seems to be some sort of hypnosis. The book is hard to put down, but for me it lacked the pathos and the sympathy for the characters that I have enjoyed in some of Almond’s earlier works. It’s not a bad book, it is certainly worth reading, but I think you will enjoy it more if you’re not expecting something great.

undeadpoets_society's review against another edition

3.0

Freaky! I am a sucker for a good weird book, and this book delivered! Not only that, but it has a hidden deepness to it that only comes from further pondering. I read this book for a class, and I would recommend it to anyone that enjoys a creepy book to read that makes you think.

The novel revolves a young boy and a new kid in town, and it talks about some seriously disturbing material. Devils and monster, sacrifice and murder, and more freaky religious things. My favorite part of this novel is the mystery. After you finishes the book you have to really think hard about what is going on. was Clay real? Or was Davie hypnotized the entire time? I think it would be very interesting to have a class read this book and discuss what they think was going on, whether Davie as a reliable narrator or not, and talk about good and evil.

Warnings:
Drugs - Cigarettes and alcohol
Sex - No
Rock and Roll - Creepy monster, and disturbing images
Violence - Some
Language - Mild cultural swearing

hoggman's review against another edition

4.0

i really enjoyed this book, i think it's a really interesting concept. id recommend it to most people i know, but not to most people.

olivia_b2509's review against another edition

emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

caenerys's review against another edition

3.0

you know, this book was weird AF but it's stayed with me ever since. I still cant really tell you what happens. its just weird.

ambermariebee's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0