posted on 26 Apr 2016

Stonebird by Mike Revell

This unusual and exciting story might have passed me by had I not heard the young author being interviewed the other week at The Federation for Children’s Book Group conference. Here he talked about how he was inspired to become a writer by his enjoyment of the Harry Potter novels which he grew up with like so many others over the last twelve years or so.He wasn’t a particularly keen reader as a younger child but once he got the bug he cited some other great children’s writers and specific books in his development as a writer: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman and Skellig by David Almond. These influences are obvious to see in the atmosphere and plot of Stonebird his first novel published in 2015.

The story centres on Liam, an eleven year old who is struggling to settle into a new locality with his single parent mother who finds comfort in drinking and his older sister, Jess who increasingly has to look after him. So lots of familiar social realism territory here, but this is a very close and loving family that is learning to come to terms with some serious changes in their lives. Probably the most difficult change is the rapid deterioration of his grandma who has advanced dementia and lives in a nursing home, which is the reason why the family has relocated. Going to visit her is something of an ordeal but he knows that he must do it despite any feelings of revulsion and despair. Ultimately he goes because he remembers her clearly before the dementia which he describes as a demented creature that lives inside her. This is difficult stuff to articulate, but Revell explained he felt it was an important part of the family story because it was close to how he felt about his own grandmother. He describes the baffling see sawing between brief hopeful moments of lucidity, confused absences and violent outbursts with great sensitivity and provides this story with a distinct and poignant dimension.

Part of learning about his grandma’s earlier life lies in discovering her journal where he finds out that she once lived in Paris and has had a mysterious experience involving a gargoyle referred to as ‘Stonebird’ that appears to follow her to England to help her adjust to her new life. When Liam discovers a nearby ruined church that appears to have a gargoyle with magical powers, the connection between the generations becomes clear. Like her grandson, the younger girl had lots of problems settling into a new life including the daily trauma of being bullied. I won’t spoil the story but Liam learns the potential power of the gargoyle who seems to do his bidding like a genie with sometimes dangerous consequences.

This is a compelling story about friendship, family and the importance of the imagination as a cathartic way of coping with harsh reality. When his teacher, Mrs Culpepper passes round the magic egg every day to inspire storytelling in the classroom at his new school, real magic happens. Revell explained that this activity was based on his memories of a real teacher in his primary school who had unlocked his confidence to be a storyteller. He is trying to include an awful lot of layers and meaning in this engaging story, possibly making it rather complicated. Nevertheless, it was a very enjoyable read and I look forward to reading his next novel which will be published very soon. It is always delightful to discover a young author with lots of potential.

Karen Argent

25th April 2016