Alchemy - Softcover

Mahy, Margaret

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0689850549 ISBN 13: 9780689850547

Publisher: McElderry, 2004

Synopsis

Roland, determined to unlock the mystery surrounding Jess Ferret, an enigmatic young woman with a penchant for alchemy, finds his investigation thwarted by the arrival of an evil magician from his past, who plunges him into a dark and deadly labyrinth of magic, corruption, and power. Reprint.

About this title

About the Author:

Margaret Mahy has lived in New Zealand her entire life.  A former children's librarian, she decided to become a full-time writer in 1980. From picture books to YA novels, the age groups for which she writes vary as much as the characters in her stories. She won the British Library Association's Carnegie medal for The Haunting and The Changeover: A Supernatural Romance. She has also written such books as Alchemy and Maddigan's Fantasia. An author whose books have received many accolades and praise around the world, Mahy was awarded the Order of New Zealand, the highest honor a citizen of that country can receive, and in 2006 she was announced the winner of the International Board on Books for Young People's Hans Christian Andersen Award, given to a living author whose works have made a lasting contribution to children's literature.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 8 Up-This book can be read on several levels. As a story of magical powers, alchemy, and spirits, it may attract readers looking for a suspenseful thriller. But it can also be read as a metaphor, cautioning of the dangers of denying one's true self. Outwardly, Roland, 17, appears to have everything-popularity, good grades, and a terrific girlfriend. But he also has a strange, recurring dream and hears inner voices warning him away from something he does not understand. Then, inexplicably, he shoplifts some inconsequential items from a local store. A teacher confronts him with his crime and makes an odd proposal: he will tell no one of the incident if Roland will find out what is going on in the life of classmate Jess Ferret. As Roland begins to investigate her, he learns that his terrifying dream is actually a memory, his shoplifting an act beyond his control. He meets Quando, the magician from his dream and, not coincidentally, his teacher's brother. Jess is not what she has appeared to be, and she sees that sinister forces are endangering Roland, and herself as well. The story becomes a battle between good and evil as Quando greedily seeks to steal the teens' powers. The idea that love and hate can release powerful energy to move the universe for good or ill is presented in a unique yet understandable way. The closing struggle leads too quickly to the resolution of several long-standing problems but the outcomes will satisfy readers looking for a hopeful ending. This is not a book that will attract a wide readership, but it deserves a place on library shelves for those teens who are willing to look beyond the surface and delve a little deeper.
Bruce Anne Shook, Mendenhall Middle School, Greensboro, NC
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: McElderry
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0689850549
• ISBN 13: 9780689850547
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224