Pages: 435
Publisher: Bodley Head/Random House
Release Date: 5th February 2009
Other Title by this Author: Shadow Forest
There’s one thing every troll child dreads more than anything else - ns hat’s being sent to the Betterer - the most evil creature in Shadow Forest.
The Betterer is furious when one troll boy escapes to be with his favourite human, Samuel Blink. But then he realises that perhaps the most useful thing to have in his Bettering Tower would be a real life human child. He sets out on a quest to kidnap Samuel and the troll he’s been hiding in his wardrobe. Samuel's not allowed to enter Shadow Forest, but what’s to stop the forest coming to him?
The Runaway Troll is a fabulously funny and magical tale that will delight boys and girls of all ages.
I love the style that Matt Haig wrote The Runaway Troll in. it felt like he was telling me the story. Before the story began, we were introduced to each of the central characters with a mini bio which I think is a really brilliant idea. There were also small chapters that were interruptions form the author giving necessary back-story and telling his readers that creatures like trolls really do exist. I have no idea why, but this style really, really appeals to me.
The fact that this novel is about trolls is what drew me to it as they aren’t the most common mythical creature in children’s fiction. Probably due to them being hideously ugly and smelling disgusting. But I love them with the funny nuances in their speech, the shared family eyeball and their yearly bath. I even thought Troll-Son was rather sweet, though there is one troll that fit’s the evil connotations: The Betterer. I did not like him at all.
Lots of important moral lessons were learnt through Samuel, Martha and Troll-Son’s adventure. Good obviously triumphed evil, Samuel learned to be grateful for his new home and family and the residents of Trollhelm learned that that they were perfectly fine in all their trollish glory.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Runaway Troll and hopefully there will be more adventures of Samuel and Troll-Son to be read about.
For my 2010 100+ Reading Challenge
Sophie
Like you, I don't know many books that center around trolls and this sounds like a delightful read! I will definitely add it to my GoodReads profile :).
ReplyDeleteOooh, this book sounds like a really fun read. Great review :)
ReplyDeleteThis sounds so much fun. I'll have to read it soon!
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