Cuckoo Song

by Frances Hardinge Narrated by Katherine Press

Overview

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.

Editorial Reviews

BookPage

"With a combination of horror and wry humor reminiscent of Neil Gaiman's Coraline, Cuckoo Song transcends its teen-reader designation. The pyschological and historical nuances...will mesmerize older readers as well."

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

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."

The Horn Book Magazine

"Cuckoo Song is a sophisticated, disturbing tale that shivers with suspense and touching moments of bravery."

Booklist - Krista Hutley

STARRED REVIEW
"In addition to her beautiful, enrapturing, and careful use of language, Hardinge’s story is vivid, frightening, and inventive, with narrative twists and turns that feel both surprising and inevitable....A piercing, chilling page-turner."

VOYA - Etienne Vallee

"Hardinge slowly and craftily builds a horrific yet spellbinding narrative that culminates in an unforgettable confrontation...and those who like horror served with a side of hopeful frightfulness will thoroughly enjoy this book."

Kirkus Reviews

★ 2015-02-03
This dense and twisty fantasy set in post-World War I Great Britain mixes monstrous creatures, sibling rivalry, a supernatural doppelgänger, family dysfunction and a kidnapping into a complex brew of eerie atmosphere and unexpected events.Hardinge is a master stylist whose imaginative works resemble one another only in the consistently impressive quality of her writing. Each narrative builds a unique world, and this combination of postwar tristesse and scary magical beings known as Besiders is no different. Evocative descriptions of the parallel settings, sharply drawn characters and fast-paced action pull readers along, though some may occasionally be distracted rather than transported by the heavy use of metaphor. Freakish actions and confusion on the part of the main character set the stage for an unsettling revelation a quarter of the way through that adds even more suspense and challenges readers' ability to empathize. While sisters Triss and Penelope are 11 and 9, the dangers they face and the issues their family grapples with suggest that readers slightly older than the protagonists will be best equipped to sort through the murky motivations, painful betrayals and matter-of-factly presented alternate reality. 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. (Fantasy. 11-14)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940178993521
Publisher:	Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication date:	12/31/2019
Edition description:	Unabridged

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