Northern Lights
Philip Pullman
Lyra has been running around Oxford causing havoc for the scholars who are obliged to pass on their knowledge to her. One evening while hiding in the retiring room she witnesses an event that will led to the biggest adventure she could imagine. One word that will forever remain the cause of it all...Dust. Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon, won't stop until they find this dust. Even if it means death.
Philip Pullman has managed to create a world so incredibly unreal that you can't help but immerse yourself into it completely. This is a world where everyone has a daemon, an animal companion that represents the humans soul. As children, the daemons can willfully change into any animal form. From moth to wildcat, until they hit puberty when the daemon takes a permanent appearance. The bond between the two is so unbelievably intense throughout the book that you feel as if you have a daemon beside you and you know exactly what that bond feels like. This is Pullman's greatest victory in the novel. I still get chills when I think about it.
Lyra is a fantastic character for two reasons. She likes to get up to mischief and isn't afraid of saying what's on her mind. Definitely a tomboy, she is a natural born leader but has a heart of gold. Even though she is young, this book is quite intelligent and some parts are quite hard to understand. You'll have to read it again to fully understand the text but it doesn't lack imagination. You'll be making your own views of 'Dust' before you know what it is. It has a huge religious tone but only the older readers would really understand it. There's just enough violence to keep the action going and it's definitely a dark story. Recommended for readers 13+. Towards the end of the book, be prepared to not do anything. Trust me, don't make any plans. They will not happen. Even though it's a trilogy, book hangover guaranteed.
