A review by seachild930
Kit's Wilderness by David Almond

4.0

This is a young adult realist fiction novel about a boy named Kit who moves with his family to the small old mining town where his grandfather lives. Kit becomes friends with a vivacious girl named Allie and a boy named John Askew, with whom he, Allie, and other students play the game called Death. Kit learns about his grandfather’s life and, as he learns more about death and life, starts to see ghosts around the town of dead children who have died in coal mining accidents. The novel moves towards its climax as Kit begins writing a story about life and death, John Askew becomes more violent, and Kit’s grandfather becomes more ill. I thought this novel was a fascinating exploration of how teenagers deal with death. I also loved its exploration of finding life in death and death in life, and the emphasis that in spite of darkness, there is always light in everything and everyone. This novel was a lot different than I thought it was going to be, but I still feel it deserves its Printz award. It’s a dark but also light exploration of themes that are pertinent to teenagers and anyone wanting to know how to connect with the past and find light in the past, present, and future.