Nin had never liked Wednesdays, but this one took the cake. On this Wednesday she woke up to find that it was pouring rain and that her little brother had ceased to exist.
The first thing to hit her was the rain. As she had forgotten to close her window the night before, the heavy drops bouncing off the windowsill got her right in the face. It wasn't the nicest way to wake up.
With a yell, Nin sat up and glared at the window. Then she scrambled onto her knees and leaned over to struggle with the drenched curtain and the stiff catch. It took ages to slam the window shut, with the storm on the outside where it was supposed to be.
She rubbed her wet face with the sleeve of her pajama top and then peered out of the window at the mass of gray clouds, or at least what she could see of them through the water pouring down the windowpane.
"Great!" she muttered. "Just brilliant. It's got to be Wednesday!"
Seven Sorcerers by Caro KingAges: 10+
So begins the 'Seven Sorcers' by Caro King.
The premise is thus: Boogeymen kidnap children, and in the process, they make everyone who ever knew them forget, effectively erasing the missing children from existence. Ninevah 'Nin' Redstone wakes up on that particular horrible Wednesday with the realization that she is the only person to remember Toby, which can mean only one thing: that whoever took her brother is going to make her disappear too.
Enter Skerridge, Bogeyman extraordinaire, who steals kids for the mysterious Mr. Strood. Skerridge is the best of the best, and has never lost a child he's stolen. He's taken Toby, and now he's back for Nin. Except the unthinkable happens, Nin escapes into the Drift, and now Skerridge has to get her back.
On the run for her life, with her new friend Jonas and an unusually thoughtful Mudman, Nin is on a quest to save her brother from Mr. Strood, but on the way she has to evade the fabulous and sometimes dreadful inhabitants from the magical world known simply as 'the Drift'.
It is terribly difficult to summarize how absolutely amazing this book is in a concise and non-rambly manner. I tried yesterday, and failed miserably. You can consider this my second attempt.
What I really liked about this book is, well, everything. The writing is witty, refreshingly honest, and clever; the plot is complex with twists and turns that leave you in suspense every time you put the book down; and the characters are fascinating and so well fleshed out you feel like you know them. My favorite is Skerridge, and not just because he sounds Cockney.
I think what drew me in the most was how King created the backdrop to the tale through the creation of the Drift. The Drift is dying along with all the magical and non magical creatures that exist within it. The most powerful have changed themselves into new forms in attempt to beat death, existing through memory and strong emotions. What is really cool is the concept of fear, because people remember fear and react strongly too it. Fear of death, fear of forgetting, using fear to power existence.
Everything is somehow connected, from the Seven Sorcerers that lend their name to the books title, to the terrifying creatures that roam the woods of the Drift. Even Nin herself somehow fits into this world both through her actions and goals, as well as through circumstances beyond her control. Nin herself is a fantastic role model for young children in how she's dedicated to her family and friends, and despite whatever obstacle that is thrown in her path, she always manages to come through it without losing her indomitable spirit.
It is slightly dangerous, totally invigorating, and has drawn me into a world in a way that few children's authors manage. I want more, and I want it fast. Luckily, book two is slated to be published very, very soon. Oh, didn't I mention? It's the first book in a series. Even better.
Grade: A++++
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