Abarat
Clive Barker

It begins in the most boring place in the world: Chickentown, U.S.A. There lives Candy Quackenbush, her heart bursting for some clue as to what her future might hold.
When the answer comes, it's not one she expects. Out of nowhere comes a wave, and Candy, led by a man called John Mischief (whose brothers live on the horns on his head), leaps into the surging waters and is carried away.
Where? To the Abarat: a vast archipelago where every island is a different hour of the day, from the Great Head that sits in the mysterious twilight waters of Eight in the Evening, to the sunlit wonders if Three in the Afternoon, where dragons roam, to the dark terrors of Gorgossium, the island of Midnight, ruled over by the Prince of Midnight himself, Christopher Carrion.
As Candy journeys from one amazing place to another, making fast friends and encountering treacherous foes - mechanical bugs and giant moths, miraculous cats and men made of mud, a murderous wizard and his terrified slave - she begins to realize something. She has been here before.
Candy has a place in this extraordinary world: she is here to help save the Abarat from the dark forces that are stirring at its heart. Forces older than Time itself, and more evil than anything Candy has ever encountered.
She's a strange heroine, she knows. But this is a strange world.
And in the Abarat, all things are possible.

For those who have never read Clive Barker before, but are interested in getting to know what an amazing writer he is without some of the more gory and sexual aspects of the majority of his novels, this book is for you. It's a perfect introduction to Barker and it suitable for pretty much any age. And for those who do read Barker and have no problems with his content, this book is still a fantastic read. It delves into another mysterious world as many of his novels do and it does it in a way where anyone can enjoy this book.

While I found this in the young adult section of the library, I would say it is suitable for any age. It might be considered young adult fiction by my library, but it is still absolutely enthralling to an adult like myself.

Much like my favorite novel of his, The Thief of Always (which is a fairy tale for adults), this one delves into the mystical realm of another world that exists next to ours, but that most people do not know exists. However, this one also shows vast islands that are very different from each other and wondrous creatures.

This is Barker taking his amazing talent at making new creatures and amazing worlds and putting it into a book that can be enjoyed by his biggest fans to someone who has never read him before.

This is the first book out of a series, so if you plan on reading this you should plan on reading the entire series because the book is open ended. No major cliffhanger where you absolutely must find out what happens next, but it does leave off in the middle of the story and makes you want more.

I am extremely impressed by this novel because it's not often a horror writer like Barker makes a novel that's accessible to all age groups.

My rating: Five out of five snails.