Guest review: White Crow by Marcus Sedgwick

This is a guest post by my colleague, Carol Cisman:

SEDGWICK, Marcus. (2010). White Crow. London: Orion Children's Books.

This is an eerie and chilling tale exploring themes of good against evil and trust within relationships whilst also asking the question : is there life after death? The story begins with the main character, Rebecca, arriving in the sleepy village of Winterfold following a scandal in her father's career which has forced them to seek temporary refuge there. She soon befriends a strange girl, Ferelith, who is both mysterious and intriguing with much to hide and, although they form a friendship of sorts, Rebecca doesn't fully trust her domineering nature and intentions. It isn't long before Rebecca finds herself in a terrifying situation with everything to lose. There are flashbacks in the story to the 18th Century with dialogue from the Rector of Winterfold describing terrible, dark deeds which took place there - the conclusion of which is made apparent at the twisting climax of the present day tale involving Rebecca and Ferelith. Although this is a horror story full of foreboding - I found it utterly thrilling and couldn't put it down! The author succeeds in creating atmosphere and drama which I believe older teenagers will find totally captivating.

If you would like to read this, or other books by Marcus Sedgwick, you will find a selection of his work in our catalogue.