Fan Poetry - White Crow

Emily B. has been busy!  This is a brilliant piece of writing.

A White Crow

A large space in a room that's small,
A terrible, fantastic fall,
A soft rock
An unexpected shock.
All the impossible, all the insane,
Not all the obvious main,
But what if there was a river that didn't flow?
What if there was a white crow?

White Crow by Marcus Sedgwick

“You are the devil. You are the devil!”

When a faith driven priest meets the twisted doctor Barriuex they orchestrate an unholy chain of events which changes the future for everyone. Rebecca, new to the town, meets the elusive and mysterious Ferelith and her life changes as dark secrets are dug up when they are best left alone. When both the past and the present come together, it exposes the macabre research which was carried out in order to discover whether there is indeed life after death. Through the grim ordeals of the candle room neither characters lives will ever be the same again.

The book is written from Rebecca, Ferelith and the priest’s point of view and I think that Sedgwick’s unique style of writing really contributed to the overall gothic feel of the book. Although the book contained many different characters, I think that it wasn’t over-complicated due to Sedgwick’s enticing style which for me made the book very difficult to put down! At some points during the book however, I felt that Rebecca’s feelings towards Ferelith changed a little too dramatically and that in real life Rebecca would probably take more time to change her opinion. Aside from that the book was really interesting from both the historical and the gothic side and I think that is a very good accomplishment.

I really liked this book as I enjoyed the contrast between what we believed in the past and what we believe in present day. If you like historical gothic horror stories with a surprising twist in the tale, this book is for you!

I think that Sedgwick showed that he was in very good command of the plot as his ability to keep on top of the complicated storyline involving several characters’ conflicting viewpoints simultaneously was executed extremely well.

I give this a ten out of ten rating. By Imogen

Fan Art

Take a look at the amazing imagery in these fan art pieces by Imogen in Year 7!

White Crow

I love this image!

Prisoner of the Inquisition

Marcus Sedgwick Visit

It’s not often that our students manage to delight, entertain and frighten me half to death all in the same day.  The 25^th of May was one of those days.

It all started last year, on the way to the Carnegie Awards.  

Didn't they all look innocent?  I began to hear whispers as we waited at the station, rumours on the Tube, hints at the possibility of a planned kidnap attempt.  Shortlisted author Marcus Sedgwick was in danger.  They’d all really loved Revolver and had had decided, in a marvellously Stephen King-esque way, that the best way to show their admiration would be to kidnap him and seal him in the library office with nothing but food, water, wine and a computer with no internet connection.  Research requests would have to be passed under the door to an eager group of volunteers. Luckily, that day passed without incident.  Marcus was warned and managed to step over the trip wires.  I though their plans had been forgotten.

I was wrong. 

The day started with delight.  Preparations for the visit had been going on for several days and from 8am that morning, there was a steady stream of baked goods being delivered to the library.  Among others, tiny sentence cakes made by Ellie, a gorgeous White Crow cake by Louise, wonderful personalised cupcakes by Elle and a huge cake topped with more glitter* than a nineties club night were delivered safely to my desk.**. The time, care and enthusiasm that had gone in to all these cakes was truly remarkable and I admit I teared up a little bit***.

It all started to change at break time, when the conversation turned suddenly ugly.  Their plans from last year had not been forgotten.  In fact, they were now being added to.  A larger Carnegie group also means that there is a larger field of crazy for all these ideas to be drawn from.  The kidnap plan was back in place, with the added bonus that the poor unsuspecting writer would innocently bring himself right here, to their clutches.  Tempted through the door by cake, he would then be fed almost to the point of death and forced to work off cake calories by writing new stories for us****.  It didn’t stop there.  The added crazy and the influence of White Crow also led to ideas of religious interrogation, chaining to chairs and possible beheading.  The crazy led to more crazy, the pitch of conversation increased as Ellie got more and more shrill, and by the end of break I was scared.  Very scared. 

I tried to warn him.  Concerns were posted on Twitter, and Marcus had the very good sense to be concerned.  

But then he arrived and was delighted by the mass of baked goods awaiting him.  

At 1pm an excited mass of Shadowers poured into the library with their packed lunches.  Slightly star-struck, everyone settled down to demolish the feast in approximately five minutes, rendered their plans unfeasible as they scoffed their way through the most shocking quantities of cake to ever be consumed in such a small time frame.  Sated by sugar and loaded up with questions, everyone settled down for the interrogation.  

Evil machinations of the Shadowers aside, Marcus was a wonderful guest and took the time to speak to everyone, answering every question incredibly honestly and in detail.  He talked about the process of writing, the way that ideas come together from the strangest places, writing as a business (I think we were all horrified at how little money from the sale of a paperback goes to the author) and the publishing process.  He told us about his evolution as a writer, from the early stories that were rejected, to finding an agent and securing a publishing deal.

There was a lot of interest about the early years and about what he’d been like a teenage reader, what he’d read then (Gormenghast) and tips for those who would like to take their writing further (Plan!  Finish everything!) and how being a writer has influenced his role as a reviewer too. 

After answering every question we had time for, the entire group lined up to have books and postcards (thanks Marcus!) signed and the last remaining questions were mopped up while the rest of us finished off the cake table.  

We’d all like to say a massive thank you to Marcus for visiting us and being so very generous with his time! 

 Anytime you need cake, you know where to come…

*  THERE IS STILL GLITTER EVERYWHERE...

**   They really were safe! I ate very few of them before everyone else got there.  Very few.

***  It must be remembered that I was ill and high on cake taking lots of over the counter medication.  
****  I was later assured that this plan would have failed as Marcus, being some sort of super human, is incapable of gaining weight. 

BIG DAY!

Today we're very excited to welcome Marcus Sedgwick to the library to attend our Carnegie meeting!  He'll be joining us for lunch and talking about his shortlisted novel, White Crow, and hopefully giving us an insight into his work as a writer.  This is such a wonderful opportunity for our readers to ask all of their burning questions.  In honour of his visit, Molly, Louise, Elle, Eleanor, Imogen, and Delphine have been baking and we have the most wonderful array of themed and delicious looking cakes!  Photos to follow, but suffice it to say that there is an ENTIRE TABLE COVERED IN CAKE.

Today also marks the unveiling of some great projects.

First up is William's animated trailer for White Crow:

Sorry, I have to put in the link as for some reason the video is refusing to embed.

There's also this stunning acted version, put together by several of the Year 8s.  Love it!  Watch to the end for outtakes... ;)

I've been so impressed with the amount of effort and skill that you've all put into these (and the cakes).  Thank you all so much!  Your prize is an author...  ;)

I'd also like to say a big giant thank you to Marcus for coming to visit us today, we're all really looking forward to it.

Fan Art

Over the last few days we've had some amazing fan art by our students!

First, Emily S drew this wonderful picture of Pell and Bean, from The Bride's Farewell.

And then Molly drew this stunning image of the stone bridge from White Crow, where Rebecca and Ferelith shelter during the storm, only to wake up and discover that the sea has eaten away at the cliff, leaving them nearly on the edge.

Amazing artwork you two, well done. 

White Crow

By  Marcus Sedgwick

If you see one white crow, then not all crows are black

Rebecca, a girl, who has been forced to move from the business of London to a small quite town, called winterfold which is falling to pieces, literally. She is upset that she had to leave her friends, her boyfriend, and her life and most importantly she knows she is slowly losing her dad. Rebecca lets the days fly by, bored and tired from the small sunburnt town, until one day she meets a quirky girl named Ferelith…

Ferelith has lived in the rectory, Winterfold all her life and knows it back to front; where the tourists go, where the cliffs crumble, and where the dead people lay.

Ferelith is an unusual character but yet we learn all about her strange ways and surprising intelligence, there is still lots of mystery behind her which soon leaks throughout the book. With an eye for detail and a great adventure Ferelith will grab you by the collar and take you with her on an amazing journey.

Rebecca however couldn’t be more different, used to the social life of London she hates the small town. She is a friendly girly character but is very wary of people and doesn’t seem as keen as ferelith. So when Ferelith comes along Rebecca is overwhelmed by her bravery, knowledge and expertise and although at first she doesn’t realise at first, the two lonely girls are the perfect match for eachother.

Ferelith entertains Rebecca through her days in winterfold, and as Rebecca’s life gets slowly worse she bonds with ferelith and depends on her to cope with it all. After ferelith tells Rebecca a tale about a Dr who murdered people to find whether they were going to the angels or devils, the story becomes a scary one as they try to uncover the truth behind this rumour.

I like how the story is told through the different view point’s ferelith, 3^rd person and the novel's third narrator, tells his tale through short diary entries of important happenings and is a strong believer in Christianity. He works with the church in 1798, along with Dr Barrieux who lives in the later decaying Winterfold Hall. We gather that Dr Barrieux studies what people see in there final moments of life and wants to see whether its; angels or devils.

At first I thought it may be a boring book, but after about 90 pages into the book I was interested by the clever plot and the strange occurrences and I was really attached!

The book had a great dramatic ending; although very sad I loved it! The book left me with so many unanswered questions and where with some books I would have been frustrated the author hadn’t explained, this just made it all the more mysterious and better!

It was amazing the way the story twisted and turned at places left you feeling tense and not knowing what was going to happen, I thought I knew the ending but then the plot changed and my prediction was wrong.

Definitely MY FAVOURITE BOOK out of all of them, the plot with have gripped from start to finish, and maybe leave feeling a little scared! Amazing!!

10/10 Review by Chloe 

White Crow

By Marcus Sedgwick

This book is about Rebecca, a girl from the city, who goes to live in Winterfold with her father, who makes friends with the strange Ferelith. Their friendship a strange one and is the starter of many weird events. Rebecca doesn't have a very good relationship with her Father and they are always avoiding each other. It flicks between the present day and two centuries ago, when the two people often walk the same path.

I really enjoyed reading this book, although did find it confusing in some ways. I thought the way Sedgwick described the characters feelings was very impressive, and I liked how their actions were always important in some way or another. I particularly liked the explanation behind Rebecca and her Fathers arguments and relationship was clever.

My favourite part of the book was when Ferelith and Rebecca met. I liked this bit because I thought it seemed weird and Ferelith came across as quite mysterious. I didn't really like Ferelith as a character becuase she did things I think were quite mean, but I liked the sense of unexpectedness she gave to the book.

I thought the idea of two different people living at different times, but in the same place, was very good but I did sometimes think the one living hundreds of years ago dragged on a bit about God and hell and heaven. Although I didn't really like that, others might and I think it gave you a true sense of how that person might feel if they were real.

I conclusion, I thought it was a good book, with a sense of mystery and the way it is written is very clever.It isn't the kind of book I would pick up off the shelf, but I'm glad I have read it.

By Emily, Year 7

White Crow

By Marcus Sedgwick

Rebecca Case travels to a little cottage with her father in the small hamlet called Winterfold to escape her life and past. At least, that’s all Winterfold is now- three streets- after the sea has been eating away at it for centuries. When Rebecca meets Ferelith, the strangely intelligent girl living in the Rectory, they strike an uneasy and at times shocking friendship in which both lonely souls seek refuge. Ferelith has become obsessed with the ‘afterlife’ and what awaits you after death. As she draws Rebecca further into her games they both get tangled up in the legend of Winterfold Hall. Neither girl could’ve guessed what awaited them.

At the same time as following Rebecca and Ferelith this strange but intriguing novel also charts a diary written by a priest in the eighteenth century. The priest meets a doctor and together they try and communicate with the afterlife. Seven people are subject to their experiments and the priest records all their successes and failures in the diary. He expresses his feelings and it seems that he believes the devil awaits him after death. It is easy to step into his shoes as Sedgwick has described with care all of his emotions.

Ferelith describes to Rebecca the legend of the priest and the doctor and they enjoy challenging each other to dares. What started off as a bit of fun gets out of hand but then the girls discover even more and they set off a chain of spooky events. Sedgwick described Winterfold and its’ remaining buildings well and made them seem like exactly what they were supposed be- a few derelict rooms slowly being consumed by the sea. I really quite enjoyed the descriptive passages, especially the third person ones as you could view the places perfectly in your mind.

The narration of the novel was split three-ways this time- firstly there was the priests’ diary, next there was also passages written by Ferelith in first person, and, finally there was the anonymous onlooker who narrated the majority of the story in third person. My favourite sections of narrative were Ferelith’s as you got to know a little about her past and feelings each time. However, despite this Rebecca was my favourite character as she was well written and created, yet she seemed rawer and less sure of herself than Ferelith and she didn’t know what to expect in her new life.

My only problem with this book was the subject and questions. The topics raised in this book about death were quite freaky and obsessive at times. They were very thought provoking and sometimes I didn’t know what to believe at all. I ended up getting a little confused as the novel progressed but I grasped the gist of the plot. The genre of this book was not one that I would usually read but I do not think that this book is your average gothic read- it’s better! The plot was interesting (even if my mind was reeling with questions) but it really annoyed me how the book ended so abruptly and didn’t answer all the questions but hinted to the answers.

Overall I enjoyed reading this novel and thought that the characters were very well constructed, especially Ferelith who was spooky and interesting at the same time! The narration was the only one I’ve read that was split into three parts and I thought that it was a really good point to the novel as it made the whole thing easier to visualise because you had so many points of view to look from. The plot was interesting but the subjects and questions raised throughout did not interest me that much and I ended up going in circles to decide which side I was supporting. In conclusion I thought that the book was good with a good array of characters and an interesting plot, but I found the questions mind boggling and sometimes didn’t know what was going on. I would recommend it to any of my friends!

By Eleanor,

Year 8

White Crow

This book is about a girl called Rebecca and she moves to Winterfold, she feels alone her boyfriend has left her now she has moved. Rebecca feels isolated in Winterfold and she wants to move back but its not only that she's been worrying about, her father. Rebecca barley ever sees her father at home the only time she sees him is at meal times and even then they do not speak to each other. Yet there is one girl that Rebecca sees often, Ferelith. Rebecca first meets Ferelith on a cliff and shes looking out to sea. Even though Rebecca doesn't think of Ferelith as a friend. Ferelith thinks of Rebecca as a friend.

I found this story amazing full of suspense and curiosity it drags you in and you always want to find out what happens in the end. But I felt as if the ending was maybe a little rushed but even though I found it very good. As I found this book one of the best I have read I would like to read 'Revolver' which is another book by Marcus Sedgwick

Overall I found this book stunningly good and I would certainly recommend it to anyone of my Friends

Harry Day

White Crow

Marcus Segdwick

White Crow

By Marcus Sedgwick

White Crow is about a girl that visits the town of Winterfold for the Summer with her dad to escape some of the events of the past. When Rebecca arrives her newfound friend Ferelith seems rather strange, obsessed by a question that has plagued those centuries before her in the same little town.

I thought the book was good. It was a bit unexpected and though at first Ferelith seemed scary and strange to the point of a stalker maybe I think by the end you understand who she really is. My favourite character was the religious man who wrote the diary entries throughout various points in the book. I didn’t especially like him as person, indeed he seemed a rather cruel character but I think he was developed well. You could understand his obsession, his need to find out the answer, these were driven by his own preaching. I think he was definitely a motivated character but also extremely selfish and fickle. After all that had happened he decided that all of his beliefs were either false or should be changed in some way. I found the story was gripping but I can’t identify why. The book was rather intriguing, although there was plot I did not really know where the story went. All of it was layering for the final climax I think; it would not have been as good without all of that before it. But it needed the ending to seem satisfying; I thought this was achieved very well and I think it just showed you how in depth Ferelith is as a person. Not just a character in a book.

I thought White Crow is a good book. It was more in depth than many I have read and it was very thought-provoking. However some of the things it made you think about, I think if you had a passion to know the answer, could drive you insane. There is no way to prove some things that are brought up in this book and thinking about them simply can make it seem more complicated. They are things that either won’t or it is near impossible to prove. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes to read about some things that may be disturbing in a rather gothic sense. I think that some would dislike it though because it could come across as just cryptic questions almost. There was a plot, and a story but I think this book really just made me think about subjects this book focused on and I think some people wouldn’t like to think about them.

By Jenna Yr8

White Crow

By Marcus Sedgwick

When a London girl named Rebecca moves to a village that feels deserted. This move turns her life dreadful! Her and her father bought a small house. When Rebecca meets a weird girl named Ferelith her dreadful life gets a bit better. The friendship between the two of them is quite strange. There are breakups and re-joining. In their great adventures around the village. On their last adventure they retrace the steps of the Doctor of the Village hall. Winterfold used to be a bustling town but got eaten away by the growling sea. The questions that Ferelith and Rebecca always were asking were whether either of them believed in God or if there is such thing as an afterlife. They wanted to know the answer to these questions so much they even put their own lives in danger to find out the answers.

I absolutely loved this book and would read it again anytime! I would also recommend it to everyone! The way this book was written it drew me into it by the first few words! I also love the way the book perspective changes all the time. There is lots more I could say about this book but the writing would be pages long!

This one of the best books I have ever read; not just in the Carnegie shortlist!

By Sophie

Year 7

White Crow

By Marcus Sedgwick

When city girl Rebecca leaves the bustling streets of London and swaps them with the deserted streets of winterfold her life literally turns upside down. Plagued by the media after a bad decision her father made, he has to leave London taking Rebecca with him. They buy a little house in winterfold. But when Rebecca meets Ferelith, things become completely different and they find themselves retracing the footsteps of a 18^th century doctor and a priest which show them the true horrors of life, death and the afterlife. Winterfold used to be a bustling city full of people but over the years the sea has devoured it and its dark history. All that’s left is a tiny triangle of streets. However who would have thought that a group of people living so close together would stare at each other as though they didn’t know each other; as though the people they were staring at were some form of demon from mars, their penetrating eyes seeing straight through you. But like the priest and the doctor they find themselves obsessed by the same question “Does god exist?” “If so is there an afterlife?” This question obsessed them all so much they risked their lives and the lives of others to find the answer.

I absolutely loved the book. It grips you from the first few words and the way Sedgwick developed the plot was absolutely amazing. There were so many things going on at the same time no part was boring. I love the way that Sedgwick has developed the characters and how he describes them so well that you can picture them in your head.

Another brilliant thing about the book is the way it repeatedly changes the perspective of the book: Ferelith’s part is done in first person, Rebecca’s is done in third and the priest’s is done in the form of a diary entry. Due to this it keeps you enthralled within the story line.

Although the style is quite gothic I still really enjoyed it and I thought it gave a completely new angle to your usual gothic based novel. I thought that maybe it could have explained the story a little better at some parts I had to read twice to understand. All in all its one of the best books I have ever read and I would recommend it to all other readers not just the ones doing Carnegie.

Review by Yasmin Year 7

Rating: **** 8/10

White Crow

Rebecca has just moved to a new town, where she meets Ferelith, a strange girl who immediatly befriends her.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Its so gripping, and exciting, you can't stop reading. It can be a little spooky at times, but I thought that it wasn't overdone, and really added to the story line.

I love the way the narration was written, switching between a second person view of Rebecca, a first person account of Ferelith, and a diary from the 17th(I think?) century. My favorite point of view was Ferelith, as you didn't get to hear from her as often as the other two points of view, and she was by far the most interesting and intriguing character. She always had something interesting, and sometimes cryptic to say. I was always excited when I heard from her, as I knew it would be a moving on point in the story.

The storyline was very interesting. It never got boring or dull, it was just gripping all the way throughout. The characters were well developed, there was good description, and brilliant emotion as well. I think it would have been interesting to hear from Rebecca's first person, just once at the end. It would have given us an insight as to what she was really feeling.

The ending was good, though I felt like I didn't completely understand the link between Rebecca's story and the 17th century story.

This book is my second favorite. I think the carnegie judges will like it, and I have a feeling that if Monsters of Men doesn't win, then this will.

By Elle

White Crow

By Marcus Sedgwick

Rebecca’s dad was a Detective, but because he stopped investigating a case, a trapped girl was not found, who later died. He moves with Rebecca to the little town of Winterfold to escape the abuse. Rebecca meets Ferelith there, who teaches her about the village’s history – the collapsing cliffs and the dangerous experiments.
There wasn’t a single character in the whole book that I didn’t like. They were all really interesting, and I wanted to know everything about them. My favourite character has got to be Ferelith. I loved her unique perception of life, death and the world around her. I loved her unbreakable spirit and how she could never be intimidated of anyone or anything. I liked the priest too, and how soon he lost his faith after he met Doctor Barrieux.
It was a very interesting book, especially when you were hearing from the priest and learning what he was doing with Doctor Barrieux. I had no idea of what they were doing until right at the end! I would have loved to know what happened to them afterwards. I was so upset at the ending that I cried! It was a bit confusing though, and I would have liked more detail into where Ferelith went.
The book gripped me from the very first page, and it continued to do so throughout the book. It was also really interesting hearing from all three main characters.
The only thing stopping me from reading this book again is the end. However, overall, I loved this book and I would definitely recommend it.

By Molly (Year 7)

White Crow Trailer

This is a book trailer I made for Marcus Sedgwick's completely awesome 'White Crow'
Holly, Year 12

White Crow

What can I say about this book; that’s my problem I can't find the words to describe the book in its glory. To me glory is too small a word to describe this book, and I am not saying the book was the best one I have read, what I am saying is it is the weirdest one I have read.
The characters Ferelith, Rebecca and the priest (again I think he is a priest, I just don’t know) all contribute something to the book, it is written from their views.
The first character I will try and talk about is dear Ferelith. Ferelith terrified me. She is so weird. She is the only character in a book that isn’t the bad person that does that. It’s the way she thinks and acts towards Rebecca. She is the one character in the book I would not have wanted to talk to in real life.
The next character is Rebecca; she is the girl who has been dumped in Winterfold with her father. Through out the book you get the feeling perhaps Rebecca should not have come to Winterfold and should not have struck up a friendship of sorts with Ferelith.
The next character is the priest. Now this character I quite liked. His morbid diary entries made me smile; he was a welcome relief from the evil that was Ferelith. But it annoyed me that I did not know his name.
The plot, I think I lost the plot while reading this book. I can not recall the plot, I believe it had something to do with uncovering a dark secret hidden within the history of the small village, other than that I have no clue what was going on in that book.
The way it was written was brilliant, I loved it. The way it swapped between the three characters was easy to see and read. I can’t really say more than that.
In conclusion I have a love hate relationship with this book. I love the Priest and Rebecca but I hate Ferelith.

Sofie
Year 12

White Crow – Marcus Sedgwick

The White Crow is a mysterious gothic fiction. I enjoyed the line on the front of the cover “Angels or Devils ……. Which is waiting for you?” (In my case Devils)
The two main characters in the book are Ferelith and Rebecca.
Rebecca is the daughter of disgraced inspector blamed for the death of a young girl. She is a quiet girl who keeps to her self.
Ferelith is the daughter of a dead mother and a run away father. Ferelith is a dark character with dark secrets following her in the shadows.
Now the plot, I was so confused I didn’t understand what I was reading in places. So I can’t really speak of a plot more a jumble of chapters in my mind.
Now I loved the style of the writing, I enjoyed the gothic writing. I loved the way the different voices are heard in the book.
In the conclusion this book was fantastic in so many ways, I couldn’t put this book down. But there one downside this books layout was very confusing

Hollie
Year 9

White Crow - Marcus Sedgwick

Rebecca’s dad has taken her to a small village to escape the media, the press, the attention for what he has done. Once a thriving town in medieval times, it has been devoured by the sea, and only a tiny triangle of buildings exist. But buildings are not all that the sea devoured. It devoured secrets. Deep dark secrets.

The book has a lot of basis on Heaven and Hell. Do they exist? What is it like? Is it wrong to know

“Supposing you wanted to prove something, something important. Supposing you wanted to prove, for arguments sake, that there is life after death… You might say that although you have not seen every crow in the whole world, ever crow that you have ever seen is black. Therefore, the chances are very great that all crows are black. In fact, you have decided for a fact that all crows are black. Now of course, if someone could show you a white crow, everything would be overturned in a moment.

But all crows are black.

And in the same way you conclude that no one lives after death. There is no ‘other side’. There is no white crow.

But, supposing I said I had seen a white crow? Just one. A single white crow.
What then?”

Narrated through the 1st person of Ferelith, a strange girl with a secretive, painful past who seeks the answer to those questions. Rebecca, whose sections are narrated in the 3rd person, does not. However, she is befriended by Ferelith anyway, and they follow a very different path to that taken by a priest and a French doctor, with the same question and the same destination – Winterfold Manor.

White crow is a superb book that had me hooked from very early on and it’s fast paced plot kept me entertained throughout. I found Ferelith to be a very interesting character, her intelligence mixed with her weird and slightly crazy self. She seems to be incredibly interested in finding the answers about Heaven and hell, almost haunted by it, but she is more subtle in displaying her interest.

Rebecca meanwhile, was very intriguing. Her relationship with her dad, trying to discover if she still loves him and if she can forgive him kept me reading, and the imperfection of her, her dad and all the other characters made them so believable.

Also, the quest of the priest and the Doctor was a haunting adventure, the time and effort afforded to the deed was great yet the priest shows his doubts and worries in his narrative, asking the lord whether he is correct and debating it with himself no end, however, his conclusion is always the same.

White crow is a superb book and I would recommend it every day of the week!

William

(Year 8)

White Crow

By Marcus Sedgwick

When Rebecca swaps bustling cities for the quiet streets and countryside of Winterfold, she meets strangely psychological Ferelith and starts off a spooky chain of events. This novel follows three lives that intertwine themselves although they don’t know it at first. They each become strangely obsessed by the same questions…about death!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel as it was gripping and well written. The three main characters each share the narrative and this makes the book very interesting as you can see their personalities in each chapter. To add to this the book is set in two different eras which are centuries apart from each other. Yet, despite this the story manages to make sense (most of the time!) and the plot is deviously entrancing.

The narrative is triple as two characters (Rebecca and Ferelith) write in first person and this allows you discover more about their feelings and thoughts as well as seeing each step of their individual plans and questions. To add a sense of mystery there is a third character (who we don’t know the identity of) who also narrates the book but this time in third person. This is my favourite part as you can view the events as an onlooker and the section of narrative is not biased to one character or the other.

My favourite character in the novel was Ferelith as she was interesting yet had strangely spooky qualities. Her mind seemed somewhat twisted and she often thought outside the box or in a sense ‘differently’ to Rebecca and the other characters. However at times this book came across as too psychological as it often made you think and question what you thought was the truth.

Overall I liked reading this novel and I think that Sedgwick has written it very well showing great skill and accomplishment by creating two very different characters that are still linked in some way. I thought that the plot and structure of the book was very interesting and the book was unique as it was narrated by three different people. Despite this though, at times I found I was going round in circles when trying to decipher and discover which side of the questions I was on (it didn’t help that both characters were created with very strong opinions!). This factor didn’t stop me from thoroughly enjoying this book and I would encourage everyone to read it whether they are doing Carnegie or not!

By Jess, year 8