Ferals - Hardcover

Grey, Jacob

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 006232103X ISBN 13: 9780062321039

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2015

Synopsis

Ferals is the first book in a dark, action-packed trilogy that’s part The Graveyard Book, part Batman, and all high-octane adventure.

Blackstone was once a thriving metropolis. But that was before the Dark Summer—a wave of violence and crime that swept through the city eight years ago, orchestrated by the fearsome Spinning Man. Now the Spinning Man is on the move again, and a boy named Caw is about to be caught in his web.

Caw has never questioned his ability to communicate with crows. But as the threat of a new Dark Summer looms, Caw discovers the underground world of Blackstone’s ferals—those with the power to control animals. Caw is one of them. And to save his city, he must quickly master abilities he never knew he had . . . and prepare to defeat a darkness he never could have imagined.

About this title

About the Author

Little is known of the mysterious Jacob Grey. He is said to live in a big city in the USA, where he wanders the streets at night dreaming up his dark and twisted tales. He has a deep love of animals and even talks to crows himself . . . although no one knows if he understands their replies. He is also the author of Ferals.

From the Back Cover

A spider this way crawls. . . .

Blackstone was a thriving metropolis before the Dark Summer—a wave of violence and crime that swept through the city eight years ago and left a boy called Caw to fend for himself on the streets, his only companions a small group of crows.

Caw has never known why he can understand the crows. But when he rescues a girl named Lydia from a vicious attack, he discovers others like him: ferals who can speak to certain animals. And some of them are dangerous.

Now, the most sinister feral of all—the Spinning Man—is on the move again. And to save Lydia, her family, and all of Blackstone from being caught in his web, Caw must quickly master abilities he never knew he had . . . and prepare to defeat a darkness he never could have imagined.

Reviews

Gr 5–8—Ever since he was five years old, Caw has lived with his crows in the safety of the nest they made in an abandoned park. He lives off of what food he can scavenge from trash cans and restaurants. After Caw saves the local prison warden from an attack by escaped criminals, the two strike up an unlikely friendship. When a kindly librarian is found murdered, the two discover that their town holds a sinister secret. Caw finds out that he is a "feral"—someone who can speak to animals. There are others like him, though some of them are not good. Caw discovers that a feral was responsible for the death of his parents; it is up to him and a ragtag group of reluctant ferals to save their town from destruction. While the story is interesting and will certainly appeal to tweens, the plot has several glaring holes. There is the obvious question of how Caw was able to survive for eight years on his own without anyone noticing him. The protagonist also shows a surprising aptitude for summoning his crows after an extremely short training period. Character development is poor and the action slow to start. VERDICT A great premise with a poor execution that will leave readers looking elsewhere.—Necia Blundy, formerly at Marlborough Public Library, MA

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 006232103X
• ISBN 13: 9780062321039
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 288