Amy Sisson (VOYA, August 2007 (Vol. 30, No 3))
Considering how many fantasy novels are imported into the U.S. these days, one hardly expects freshness and originality, so this Irish author's debut novel is a very pleasant surprise. Twelve-year-old Stephanie Edgley is perplexed when her eccentric Uncle Gordon dies, leaving her his vast estate. She is utterly astonished to find that his closest friend is a walking, talking skeleton who also happens to be a well-dressed, hard-boiled detective named Skulduggery Pleasant. Intrigued by Skulduggery's dangerous world of magic, Stephanie ignores his protests and begins tagging along on his adventures. Before long, she encounters a troll-killing warrior named Tanith Low, vampires completely unlike those about which she has read, an evil henchman made mostly out of paper, and many other wonders and perils. Quite simply, this book is designed to appeal on every level. The book's cover, the illustrated drop caps that lead off each chapter, and the narrative's tone give it a graphic novel sensibility, even though it is really almost four hundred pages of straight text. Stephanie displays wisdom and courage beyond her years, and as such, will appeal to older teen readers as well as younger ones. Stephanie and Skulduggery's witty repartee is most enjoyable, and the pacing is fast, with constant action and fight scenes during which the author neither sugarcoats the violence nor revels in it unnecessarily. This book likely will be a big hit, and thus belongs in every library that serves young adult readers. VOYA CODES: 4Q 5P M J S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Every YA (who reads) was dying to read it yesterday; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2007, HarperCollins, 400p., $17.99 and PLB $18.89. Ages 11 to 18.