Clay

With fascination, Davie and his friend Geordie watch the arrival of a new boy, Stephen Rose, in their town. He seems to have come from nowhere, and when he arrives to live with his distant aunt, the local Crazy Mary, no one envies his new home. But perhaps he’s the answer to Davie and Geordie’s prayers – a secret weapon in their war against monstrous Mouldy and his gang.

Intrigued, Davie and Geordie befriend Stephen. But they are heading innocently down a path that brings with it a monster of an entirely unexpected nature. Their encounter with the mysterious Stephen is as incredible as it is menacing, and as the true story of Stephen’s past slowly emerges, Davie’s life is changed for ever…

‘Funny, mysterious, moving, frightening and so deftly constructed as to be fiercely compelling. This is extraordinary story telling.’ The Sunday Times

‘Both exhilarating and horrifying.’ Time Out

‘The climax of this strange miraculous, beautiful book will make it a classroom classic.’ The Times

‘This is the best that children’s fiction has to offer. Brilliant.’ The Guardian

‘His most mysterious and spellbinding work yet.’ Daily Express

An astonishing journey. Almond’s books should be compulsory reading in all secondary schools.’ Imogen Stubbs, The Daily Telegraph

‘Lilting prose and a seamless blending of primitive magic with discerning realism. … elegiac lyricism of a lament for lost innocence but punctuated by moments of sharply observed humour, this adroit and perceptive novel has both immediate appeal and long-lasting resonance.’ The Guardian

‘Another gripping read from one of the master storytellers.’  Books Quarterly