The Book Without Words

The Book Without Words. by Avi. (2005). 200p. New York: Hyperion.  
 

Awards and Honors: New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age, 2005

Review: 

From the very first foreboding paragraph, The Book Without Words is a dark, thrilling and highly atmospheric novel. Avi's tale of magic in early Medieval England centers around a mysterious book of blank pages- the Book Without Words- which is said to hold the mysteries of alchemy and immortality. Stolen long ago by a young boy, the book now lies in the hands of Thorston, an elderly alchemist who will stop at nothing to unlock its magic. However Thorston is being followed by a monk intent on recovering the book, as well as the greedy town reeve who wants the gold that he believes Thorston has learned how to make. Thorston's servant girl, Sybil, his speaking pet raven, Odo, and two young boys hired by the monk and the reeve, get caught in the middle of a terrible struggle between good and evil, desire and greed. Together they must work together to save themselves and to rid the world of black magic. 

Opinion:
I thoroughly enjoyed this spooky, suspenseful and well-crafted book. As fantastical as some parts of the story are (a talking raven, a reanimating corpse, magical spells, and saintly apparitions), the narrative comes alive with Avi's wonderfully descriptive language and tight dialogue.