Song For Ella Grey, A (Winner Of The Guardian Children'S Book

Description: Winner of the Guardian children's book prize 2015 I'm the one who's left behind. I'm the one to tell the tale. I knew them both...knew how they lived and how they died. Claire is Ella Grey's best friend. She's there when the whirlwind arrives on the scene: catapulted into a North East landscape of gutted shipyards; of high arched bridges and ancient collapsed mines. She witnesses a love so dramatic it is as if her best friend has been captured and taken from her. But the loss of her friend to the arms of Orpheus is nothing compared to the loss she feels when Ella is taken from the world. This is her story - as she bears witness to a love so complete; so sure, that not even death can prove final.

Review: Infused with lyricism and with the fire and oddness of adolescence. Fresh, involving and lucid, it is a song in itself, and teens will find it fills them with poignant longing and joy. The Daily Telegraph A desperately romantic and deeply lyrical re-imagining of Orpheus and Eurydice... David Almond at his best. * * * * * Bookbag Passages of magic. Financial Times Beautifully written... poetic and allusive. Irish Times Spell-binding... impossible to resist... breathless, intoxicating prose. [Almond's] books seem to exist in their own otherworldly universe, outside all the trends in modern publishing, yet resolutely of the now. The Glasgow Herald Lyrical and dreamlike, this beautifully written story conjures up the insane intensity of first love and the effect it has on those caught up in its slipstream. Authentic teenage characters and attitudes, and Almond's control of emotion is superb. Daily Mail Almond's writing is superb. Irish Daily Mail A ravishing, ingenious novel told in Almond's own hypnotic northern lilt. The Scotsman A retelling of the myth of Orpheus... Almond's version is a revelation: his poetic prose seeps into your blood like word-venom until you can't imagine reading anything else (Children's Book of the Week) The Times a strong sense of mystery...lyrical... poetic...moves in a deliberate dreamlike way. A beautiful book that works on several levels A triumph. (Marcus Sedgwick) The Guardian A plangent tale of adolescent passion which re-packages the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Almond injects it with lyrical beauty and life. Books for Keeps Intriguing adaptation of the tale of Orpheus, skilfully crafted and blended with modern teen life and a real flavour of Northumberland. Haunting. Peters eGazette Almond is an incredibly powerful storyteller. Poetic... dreamlike and lyrical. A devastatingly poignant novel. Newcastle Chronicle A desperately romantic and deeply lyrical re-imagining of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Full of the hums and thrums of emotions, landscape, music and poetry, it's David Almond at his best. The Bookbag Bliddy marvellous, as his Geordie protagonists would say. The Independent on Sunday A masterly retelling of the Orpheus myth. Lyrical prose is matched with equally beautiful passages. Financial Times Extraordinary. Metro Beautiful writing. The Independent Almond's lyrical prose fits the story perfectly. The Mail on Sunday A revelation. Poetic prose seeps into your blood like word venom until you can't imagine reading anything else. The Times Beautiful and bewitching. Daily Express The writing is just so magical... A stunning book which I will definitely read again. -- The Best Children's Books of 2014 The Guardian David Almond is a dazzling writer...exceptional... a breathtaking novel from a literary master. Daily Express A daring reworking of Orpheus amd Eurydice... a sense of transcendence... lush poetic prose. Sunday Times Haunting poetic novel. Irish Times If somebody asked me to describe A Song for Ella Grey in word, I would have to tell them that I couldn't...it would be impossible to write it off in just a word The Guardian Online It's a desperately romantic and deeply lyrical reimagining of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Full of the hums and thrums of emotions, landscape, music and poetry, it's David Almond at his best The Bookbag A revelation: his poetic prose seeps into your blood like word venom until you can't imagine reading anything else -- Alex O'Connell The Times Extraordinary -- Imogen Russell Williams The Metro Almond's lyrical prose fits the story perfectly The Mail on Sunday Beautiful writing...this is an author always on the side of the young, and as such offers a valuable counterweight to fashionable gloom in other teenage writing -- Nicholas Tucker The Independent I thought the author told the story extremely well and I would recommend this book to anyone in their teens. -- Charlie Barraclough (aged 14) Western Gazette Skillfully crafted and blended...accessible with engaging main characters and haunting memorable plot. Peters eGazette Intensely lyrical and oddly haunting...Almond's prose is a delight, each word so carefully chosen and melded to make a myth of contemporary adolescence School Librarian Capturing the intensity of first love and its power to overcome even death, Almond's prose is a delight, each word so carefully chosen and melded to make a myth of comtemporary adolescence...will surprise and enthrall teenage readers in equal measure Scool Librarian David Almond is a powerful storyteller and I was completely swept away by his latest poetic prose Carousel A challenging but riveting read -- Sophie Innes, Trinity Academy Teen Titles It is a challenging but riveting read Teen Titles Almond's poetic prose is especially apt for this tale -- one that moves in a deliberate, dreamlike way -- Marcus Sedgewick The Guardian This is the most beautifully written, haunting book for young adults that I have ever read Bristol Magazine This year I loved A Song for Ella Grey by David Almond ... a powerful, lyrical book that's absorbing and moving and haunting The guardian.com [David Almond] is becoming the Gabriel Garcia Marquez of Children's Fiction. -- Janni Howker TES This is absolutely beautiful and quite possibly my favourite Almond novel to date. The story of Orpheus and Eurydice is retold against a wild Northumbrian landscape: life, death, love and myths. Just wonderful. -- Fiona Noble The Bookseller Almond is an incredibly powerful storyteller; his poetic prose perfectly suits this type of tale, being dream-like and lyrical...a devastatingly poignant novel. -- Jayne Howarth Manchester Evening News



Prizes: Winner of Guardian Children's Fiction Prize 2015. Shortlisted for "The Bookseller" YA Book Prize 2015.

Author Biography: David Almond is synonymous with quality children's writing; since Skellig was published fifteen years ago. Skellig has sold 1 million copies in the English language and was the book to launch him on a trajectory to extend his work into film, opera and theatre. He holds high acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic. David is the winner of the Hans Christian Andersen award, the Whitbread, the Newberry, and most recently the Guardian children's book award. He is rightly hailed as one of the most important writers for this generation of young people.