White Crow By Marcus Sedgwick

ISBN: 1842551876

Published By Orion

Published July 2010

I am a huge fan of Marcus Sedgwick's work, and have read most of his books, including the fantastic "Book Of The Dead Days". Sedgwick is a masterful story teller, and the White Crow is one of his best to date. It is a story about Rebecca, who moves to the small seaside town of Winterfold, where, in the 1700s a priest tried to determine what happens after death. 

The narrative is told from three points of view, that of Rebecca, a strange girl Rebecca meets, and the priest from the 1700s. I won't detail too much of the plot here as it would really spoil a wonderful read, but suffice to say the whole book is shrouded in a feeling of unease and gothic tension. As the plot reveals more and more detail about the characters and what went on all those centuries ago, Sedgwick makes the reader contemplate the unanswerable question of what happens once our lives are over, and through that explores the idea of friendship and responsibility. 

This is one of those Young Adult books which adults will enjoy too, however, some passages are pretty disturbing, so prepare to sleep with the light on!