A quite enjoyable book that deals with some bad content.
Plot
Things were supposed to be so nice when Michael and his family moved into their new house. Unfortunately, his sister becomes deathly ill and the whole house is affected by this. While his sister is in the hospital, Michael decides that he want to explore the garage. What he finds will be a great surprise to him. There is something there, and it’s alive. Together with his new friend, Mina, they will experience something that they never had believed in before and it will be a memory of a lifetime. Because, who is really Skellig, the man in the garage? And even more important, what is he and what can he do?
Morality
This story isn’t based on morals, and there are not any bad guys. All of them are good, even though Skellig might seem a bit doubtful at times. It is worth mentioning that Michael and Mina lie to his parents, even though they mean it for the best. They are never punished for this. At one point, it seems like Michael disrespects his father, even though they become friends quite quickly.
Spiritual Content
There is a lot of spiritual content in this book. It’s never said to be any special religion but it is clear enough for the reader to make up their mind. There is said that somebody is an angel, but not quite. It’s never described properly, but it seems as though one of the characters is an angel, though not as we usually think of angels. It’s up to the reader to decide, but the book is probably not written from a Christian point of view. (Note: The book also refers a lot to the real poet William Blake.)
Quite early in the book, somebody talks about evolution. Their conclusion is that everything has gone through evolution and that it will still continue. It’s clearly said that somebody believes that we come from the apes. On the other hand, somebody says that they have been praying. It’s never mentioned if they prayed to God or what they actually said. There is not any magic in this book, but at the end, somebody manages to strengthen somebody else. This is not described as magic, however.
Violence
There are never any battles in this book. A lot of dead bugs are mentioned and a character eats them. There are also some dead mice. An important character does complain a lot about being in pains because the character suffers from arthritis.
Drug and Alcohol Content
It’s mentioned that a doctor probably smokes, even though it is only the smell that is described. In the beginning, it is just mentioned that a man on a bus is obviously drunk. Also, Michael’s father does drink beer at some occasions, but it’s never said that he is drunk. Skellig drinks brown ale and he describes it like “drink for gods,” but he is not drunk either. Also, Skellig eats aspirin.
Sexual Content
The only thing that is mentioned is that Mina kisses Skellig’s forehead and cheek to show him that she cares for him. At one point, somebody hints that Michael and Mina did spent a night together, though they never did. But it’s worth mentioning that it was left at that.
Crude or Profane Language or Content
There isn’t much swearing, but towards the end, both Michael and his father say f*** when they are in a rage.
Conclusion
This award winning book is very thoughtful , and it makes you think about values in life and how wrong we can be. It is also a great tale about what love can do and how important it is. The book can give you hope in troubled times, and it tells you that you never should give up. The language is fairly simple, and at one point, ten sentences after each other started with the same word. This can easily get a bit boring to the older reader, but it is great for the younger ones.
This book deals with some bad content as well, and one should be aware of this. The spiritual content especially is confusing: Skellig's nature is mysterious and in some cases almost sinister, and at other times love is displayed as being almost supernatural in power. Also, there is a lot of alcohol mentioned. I found this book quite enjoyable, though, but caution in recommending should be used.
This review is brought to you by Queen Lucy of Narnia.
