By Frances Hardinge (author)
"Tense and creepy supernatural story set in an often ignored historical period - full of ideas and amazing writing"
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Award-winning Frances Hardinge’s latest novel bubbles over with brilliant ideas in a fast-paced and thought-provoking adventure encompassing families, a very special kind of haunting, spying and the English Civil War. Twelve year Makepeace has grown up practising how to defend herself against spirits who go in search of another living being to inhabit when they are released from the dead.
Makepeace is skilful at defence but, when grieving the death of her mother, she lets her guard down and is filled with the spirit of a bear. But Bear is a friend as much as a foe and now Makepeace has a strong internal allay who may be exactly what she needs when she goes to stay with her father’s terrifying family whom she needs to resist at all costs.
Frances Hardinge’s beautiful writing makes the unbelievable credible and tangible as she weaves together and then unravels layer upon layer of complexities in this substantial and deeply story.
Frances Hardinge weaves a dark, otherworldly tale in A Skinful of Shadows, her first book since the Costa Award-winning The Lie Tree. When a creature dies, its spirit can go looking for somewhere to hide. Some people have space inside them, perfect for hiding.
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Makepeace, a courageous girl with a mysterious past, defends herself nightly from the ghosts which try to possess her. Then a dreadful event causes her to drop her guard for a moment. And now there's a ghost inside her.
The spirit is wild, brutish and strong, but it may be her only defence in a time of dark suspicion and fear. As the English Civil War erupts, Makepeace must decide which is worse: possession - or death.
'Hardinge is an unusual talent who deserves to be read by children and adults alike' - Guardian
Praise for The Lie Tree
"The Lie Tree is brilliant: dark, thrilling, utterly original. Everyone should read Frances Hardinge. Everyone. Right now." -- Patrick Ness
“A dark, ingenious tale oozing gothic atmosphere.” Costa Children's Book Award Judges
Frances Hardinge spent a large part of her childhood in a huge old house that inspired her to write strange stories from an early age. She read English at Oxford University, then got a job at a software company. However, a few years later a persistent friend finally managed to bully Frances into sending a few chapters of Fly By Night , her first children's novel, to a publisher. Macmillan made her an immediate offer. The book went on to publish to huge critical acclaim and win the Branford Boase First Novel Award. She has since written many highly acclaimed children's novels including, Fly By Night's sequel, Twilight Robbery , as well as the Carnegie shortlisted Cuckoo Song and the Costa Book of the Year winner, The Lie Tree.
Author photo © David Levenson
UKLA Book Awards - 2019
the best books for 9-12 year olds · the best books for teenagers
That Self-Same Metal
Brittany N. WIlliams
Beautifully Written, Beautifully dark.
Wow! Absolutely loved this book. So twisted and dark yet the way it's written almost sounded like a poem.... Read Full Review
Frances Hardinge weaves a dark, otherworldly tale in A Skinful of Shadows, her first book since the Costa Award-winning The Lie Tree. When a creature dies, its spirit can go looking for somewhere to hide.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed A Skinful of Shadows and determined it is suitable for children aged 11-14 years old
A Skinful of Shadows features in the following genres: Books of the Month, Recommendations, Featured Books for 11+ readers, Julia Eccleshare's Picks of the Month, Historical Fiction, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Recommended Children's eBooks, Featured Books for 13+ readers, Star Books
Paperback, CD-Audio, Hardback. £8.99, down from the £9.99 cover price. In Stock.
A Skinful of Shadows was written by Frances Hardinge and published by Macmillan Children's Books an imprint of Pan Macmillan
A Skinful of Shadows has 414 pages
£8.99, reduced from £9.99. In Stock.
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