Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Yearling (2005), Paperback, 448 pages
Description
While staying on her uncle's rundown farm in the Somerset countryside, twelve-year-old Midge discovers that she has a special connection to the Various, a tribe of "strange, wild--and sometimes deadly" fairies struggling to maintain their existence in the nearby woods.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Crowyhead
I really enjoyed this novel -- it has sort of an old-fashioned YA fantasy novel feel. I did feel that it suffered from some pacing and plot problems; for how long the book is (over 400 pages) very little was wrapped up in the end, and the story seemed to move in fits and starts throughout. Still,
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the author does a great job of giving the Various different personalities and creating their culture, and he also has a good sense for how young adolescents think and interact. I particularly enjoyed George, the protagonist's counsin, who is always cooking up schemes and doing things that are very familiar to me as the sister of two younger brothers. Good stuff -- I'm looking forward to seeing what Augarde comes up with next. Show Less
LibraryThing member yarmando
Entertaining, but fairly predictable story of a girl's encounter with a fairy community. The anthropology of the Various is pretty interesting (different castes, power structure). The human story -- of a girl whose mother is emotionally distant, staying with her cousins in their country home --
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shows less imagination. In the end, it breaks out into philosophy of time and events. There are two more parts, but I probably won't read them. Show Less
LibraryThing member phoebesmum
Twelve-year-old Midge is sent to stay on her uncle's West Country farm for the summer holidays. She's bored and lonely until the day she finds a tiny winged horse lying injured in an outbuilding and goes to its rescue.
So far, so ordinary – there's a band of tiny people living in the woods on the
The Various live in a distinct and inflexible caste system: the winged Ickri, the tribes' hunters, are their rulers and leaders; other tribes farm, or fish. Two other tribes are cave dwellers and are considered far inferior. But these, it turns out, have secrets and surprises of their own, all tied in to the almost legendary Celandine – Midge's great-great aunt, whose legacy Midge finds she has inherited.
I enjoyed this, although it's patchy, with long stretches of nothing much happening (it takes several chapters before Midge encounters the Various), and numerous shifting points of view. It's pretty dark in places, too, with – I warn you – a dead cat at one point. It's not a nice cat (it's the farm's hunting Tom), but still I skipped over that bit.
The story ends abruptly and with many loose ends unexplained and unexplored, to be continued in two sequels.
So far, so ordinary – there's a band of tiny people living in the woods on the
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hill, and Midge finds herself caught up in their lives and problems – but the depiction of the tiny people, the 'Various' themselves, sets this book apart: they're a far cry from the ethereal fairies of Victorian art, or the Doc Martened Fae of urban fantasy; they're tough, gritty, dirty, earthy, for the most part far from magical, unwelcoming and secretive and, occasionally, downright dangerous. And they all talk like my Granddad. Not my posh granddad, the Somerset one. Ar.The Various live in a distinct and inflexible caste system: the winged Ickri, the tribes' hunters, are their rulers and leaders; other tribes farm, or fish. Two other tribes are cave dwellers and are considered far inferior. But these, it turns out, have secrets and surprises of their own, all tied in to the almost legendary Celandine – Midge's great-great aunt, whose legacy Midge finds she has inherited.
I enjoyed this, although it's patchy, with long stretches of nothing much happening (it takes several chapters before Midge encounters the Various), and numerous shifting points of view. It's pretty dark in places, too, with – I warn you – a dead cat at one point. It's not a nice cat (it's the farm's hunting Tom), but still I skipped over that bit.
The story ends abruptly and with many loose ends unexplained and unexplored, to be continued in two sequels.
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LibraryThing member Jennie_103
I felt this had a slow start but after that I was entirely hooked - have all three books on hand because once you get started you won't want to stop!
Augarde builds a beautiful, very real, location that you strongly want to visit with strong male, female and fairy characters! Midge and Celandine are
Unlike Pullman's His Dark Materials (also published by Fickling books), this isn't about saving the world but saving a tribe of fairy people, The Various, and giving them back a future after the world has been overrun by humans. Naturally, it's our children who help but they are allowed to age and develop over the three books, especially Celandine of the second book who we meet later in book 3 as a very old lady. This almost time travel aspect, jumping back and forward through the generations, makes these books more unusual than your average children's "save the fairies" story.
Augarde builds a beautiful, very real, location that you strongly want to visit with strong male, female and fairy characters! Midge and Celandine are
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really the centre of the trilogy which should engage the female interest yet there are battle scenes and adventure for boys too.Unlike Pullman's His Dark Materials (also published by Fickling books), this isn't about saving the world but saving a tribe of fairy people, The Various, and giving them back a future after the world has been overrun by humans. Naturally, it's our children who help but they are allowed to age and develop over the three books, especially Celandine of the second book who we meet later in book 3 as a very old lady. This almost time travel aspect, jumping back and forward through the generations, makes these books more unusual than your average children's "save the fairies" story.
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LibraryThing member millett23
I really enjoyed this book. I found that it was different from all the other fairy books. I can't wait to read the other 2 books.
LibraryThing member Mirandalg14
Same old story: Girl discovers fairies,learns of the danger to fairies, and works to protect them. However, this story has great flesh - decent writing, a well described environment, and relatable characters. Really enjoyed Pegs. I would have liked a bit more with him. I will definitely read more
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of the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member flying_monkeys
An enchanting cover; the story, not so much.
It took five separate attempts over the last two months before I could finally push my way through to the end. Midge didn't talk, act or react like a 12-year-old girl, and I found the adults all rather self-involved and unlikable. So there weren't any
The world of the Various should have been exciting and mesmerizing, but it just wasn't. It needed more oomph! I was almost - and I loathe to say this - bored. Perhaps it was too much description where not a whole lot was needed, and too little where it would've added depth and intrigue? For these reasons I will not check out books two and three. I will say that I rather enjoyed the perspective of the Various: how they saw the Gorji (humans); how they feared and avoided the felix (cats) at all costs; how they described and used books.
I would only recommend The Various to young readers, up to around age 10, who have not been exposed to much fantasy. Otherwise, the frequent readers and/or the older readers would likely give up on this one.
2.5 stars
It took five separate attempts over the last two months before I could finally push my way through to the end. Midge didn't talk, act or react like a 12-year-old girl, and I found the adults all rather self-involved and unlikable. So there weren't any
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characters with whom I really felt a strong connection.The world of the Various should have been exciting and mesmerizing, but it just wasn't. It needed more oomph! I was almost - and I loathe to say this - bored. Perhaps it was too much description where not a whole lot was needed, and too little where it would've added depth and intrigue? For these reasons I will not check out books two and three. I will say that I rather enjoyed the perspective of the Various: how they saw the Gorji (humans); how they feared and avoided the felix (cats) at all costs; how they described and used books.
I would only recommend The Various to young readers, up to around age 10, who have not been exposed to much fantasy. Otherwise, the frequent readers and/or the older readers would likely give up on this one.
2.5 stars
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Subjects
Awards
Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing (Nominee — 2004)
Branford Boase Award (Shortlist — 2004)
Original publication date
2003
Physical description
448 p.; 5.37 inches
ISBN
0440420296 / 9780440420293