A thought-provoking, critically acclaimed novel from Frances Hardinge, winner of the Costa Book of the Year and Costa Children's Book Awards for The Lie Tree
When Triss wakes up after an accident, she knows something is very wrong. She is insatiably hungry, her sister seems scared of her, and her parents whisper behind closed doors. She looks through her diary to try to remember, but the pages have been ripped out. Soon Triss discovers that what happened to her is more strange and terrible than she could ever have imagined, and that she is quite literally not herself. In a quest to find the truth, she must travel into the terrifying underbelly of the city to meet a twisted architect who has dark designs on her family--before it's too late.
Set in England after World War I, this is a brilliantly creepy but ultimately loving story of the relationship between two sisters who must band together against a world where nothing is as it seems.
About the Author :
Frances Hardinge spent a large part of her childhood in a huge old house that inspired her to write strange stories from an early age. She is also the author of Gullstruck Island, Fly by Night, Verdigris Deep, and Fly Trap. She lives in England.
Katherine Press is a voice talent and audiobook narrator.
Review :
"Cuckoo Song transcends its teen-reader designation. The psychological and historical nuances, along with the sheer horror of Not-Triss's existence, will mesmerize older readers as well.
-- "BookPage"
"A horrific yet spellbinding narrative that culminates in an unforgettable confrontation...Those who like horror served with a side of hopeful frightfulness will thoroughly enjoy this book."
-- "VOYA"
"Fans of Hardinge will not be disappointed in this latest spine-chilling, creative work."
-- "School Library Journal (starred review)"
"Few authors can evoke a twinned sense of terror and wonder better than Hardinge...Vivid, frightening, and inventive, with narrative twists and turns that feel both surprising and inevitable...A piercing, chilling page-turner."
-- "Booklist (starred review)"
"Hardinge is a master stylist...entangling the emotions of readers willing and able to enter into a world like no other."
-- "Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"
"Hardinge's quiet but elegant prose moves the story seamlessly from an effectively creepy horror tale to a powerful, emotionally resonant story of regret and forgiveness."
-- "Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)"
"In the guise of a gorgeously written and disconcerting fairy tale, Hardinge delves deeply into the darker side of family life."
-- "Publishers Weekly (starred review)"
"Nuanced and intense, this painstakingly created tale mimics the Escher-like constructions of its villainous Architect, fooling the eyes and entangling the emotions of readers willing and able to enter into a world like no other."
-- "Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"
"Spine-chilling, creative work...a well-wrought fantasy."
-- "School Library Journal (starred review)"
"This sophisticated, disturbing tale shivers with suspense and touching moments of bravery."
-- "Horn Book Magazine"
