Skellig
Skellig is compelling novel that combines fantasy, mystery, interesting and thoughtfully rendered characters with
excellent narration and prose.
Skellig is a novel that unfolds as you read it, and even when it is through, you are still a bit dazed by the
story. Michael and his family just moved to a new house that needs a lot of repair. Michael's baby sister is seriously
ill and his parents are frantic. Michael is frantic and desperate in his own way - unsure of who to confide in and what
to do about the current circumstances. Immediately after moving into the house, Michael enters the dilapidated garage
(that is so run down it is actually a danger to be inside of it) to find a creature of some sort under all of the dust,
debris and cobwebs of the garage. Slowly and deliberately through the rest of the novel, Michael and his friend Mina
discover who this creature is and the power inside it and themselves.
One of the very best aspects of this novel is its subtlety. It has elements of magic, adventure, mystery, and fantasy
but none of those aspects overwhelm the story or the power of the book. The writing itself is somewhat subtle - giving
just enough details to keep the reader going, but by no means using rich and flowery language. The language is bare
and sparse (no less powerful), and it fits the story perfectly. The following passage takes place when Michael and Mina
discover Skellig's wings:
"We stared at each other. My hand trembled as I reached out toward Skellig's wings. I touched them with my
fingertips. I rested my palms on them. I felt the feathers, and beneath them the bones and sinews and muscles
that supported them. I felt the crackle of Skellig's breathing."
The characters of Michael and Mina are interesting to contrast. Michael is a boy who has a lot of emotional
needs because of what his family is going through at the time. He is strong but he is also unsure of himself and his
life in many ways. Mina is the stronger of the two characters. Michael seems to depend on Mina in that way.
She is self assurred and head strong. In many ways, Michael's decision to show Skellig to Mina was because he
needed her assurrance and her validation that Skellig was real.
In the novel, the line between fantasy and life is thin. Skellig seems to be in a state between life and death
- between one kind of creature or another. In the same way, Michael's baby sister is between life and death. Skellig
mirrors the baby, and in many ways, Skellig may have saved the baby and even the family. When the baby lives, Skellig
leaves - which leaves the reader with mysteries just beyond their grasp (Vasilakis 1999).
Almond, David. Skellig. New York: Delacorte press, 1998.
