Cuckoo Song Paperback – Unabridged, 8 May 2014

I bought Frances Hardinge’s Cuckoo Song over a year ago, where it’s been on my Kindle in my long list of unread books ever since. A couple of weeks ago, it was named Best Fantasy Novel at the British Fantasy awards (a first for a young adult novel) and this reminded me that I really should get round to reading it.I’m so glad I did, as it really is a magical novel in every sense. It’s full of atmosphere and intrigue, the characters are a complete delight and the storyline is not only crammed with adventure but also a touching tale of family relationships. It reminds me a little of the best work of Diana Wynne-Jones – particularly books like Hexwood, Fire & Hemlock and The Ogre Downstairs in which magic creeps slowly into real-life, suburban settings – and that is not a comparison I could ever make lightly.Set in the 1920s, it begins with Triss, the 11-year-old daughter of well-off, upper-middle-class family, awaking in bed after an accident in which she apparently fell into the Grimmer, a mysterious pond, and emerged concussed and feverish. Triss can’t remember anything about the accident, and although she seems to be recovering physically, she’s troubled by a number of things. Her feisty little sister Pen refuses to speak to her. She’s unnaturally, insatiably hungry. And most chillingly of all, her favourite doll has started to talk – and it’s terrified of her.What happened to Triss during her accident? Is she going mad? Or is there something even more strange going on?Cuckoo Song soon develops into a gripping, often eerie fantasy adventure that draws heavily on British folklore – the notion that someone can literally be ‘away with the fairies’, for instance – but manages to weave magic seamlessly into the burgeoning modernity of the Jazz Age. Early cinema, trams and Art Deco architecture all become enchantingly involved in the fantasy elements of the story, and the Great War still casts a ghostly shadow.The book is full of vivid and memorable characters. Some are immensely loveable, some considerably less so and some are outright terrifying, but each and every one of them is wholly convincing when it comes to their motives and flaws, right down to the most villainous among them.This is a beautifully atmospheric novel – I can’t remember the last time I read a book that conjured up such a vivid picture of its characters and setting – but the plot is never compromised by the evocative prose and there’s no shortage of pace and adventure. Cuckoo Song reminds me of the very best books of my childhood without ever feeling derivative. This one is an absolute winner with me.

This is brilliant, elegantly written, exciting & satisfying. I have been reading Myth, Fairy Tales & Fantasy for more than half a Century & Ms Hardinge really understands Magic, she has it in her bones.She I son the same sort of level as Margaret Mahy, Garth Nix & Diana Wynne Jones.I was left wondering what would happen after the Story ends. Will all four have extended lives, will the Besiders survive the Bombs of the next war ?

I have only recently discovered Frances Hardinge's books, but I love them. She's an author who knows how to weave a good tale, and to get under the skin of her characters. Whilst she writes fiction for children and young adults, I think her characters and themes appeal to all ages, in the way that good fiction should. This story in particular offers timely and interesting parallels to the current migrant crisis that is affecting so many of the world's souls today, and has a neat way of reminding us that we're not so very different from each other after all when horror and displacement touches the very fabric of our own lives.

I really enjoyed this book. You will meet several really interesting and well developed characters who I grew close to over the time I read the book. I was sorry to leave them when I'd finished, which to me is a sign of a good book. Great style of writing - slightly creepy at times, especially the first few chapters and the scene in the cottage by the fireplace. The main character is especially well described - I really liked her - and I was pleasantly surprised by the twists and turns in the plot. Frances Hardinge creates an amazing, fantasy world which exists alongside ours. If you ever decide to visit make sure you take a cockerel with you (you will know what I mean once you have read the book!).

A changeling story with a real difference - I loved the setting - just after the First War, with all the problems of finding work and housing and ways to deal with shell-shocked (or as we would say now, victims of post-traumatic stress) young men, and what were delightfully known as Surplus Women. And the magic strand is eerily relevant as the little boats bring ragged troupes of refugees to the shore, refugees who need homes and help - but can they be welcomed? The heroine is brave, resourceful, the reader is with her all the way and even the characters who seem to be villains at first are by no means all bad. Excellent. I love this author. I'm going to hunt down all her books that I haven't read and treat myself to a good, long read.

Hard review to write. Loved the first third. Started to get a bit bored by the second third. Didn’t finish the last third. It’s well written and quite unique but I felt it was written for a much younger audience. I think it’s more about my taste than then the author’S writing or the subject matter.

Absolutely thrilling and a joy to read! From the beginning I was fascinated by the glimmer and the disturbing behaviour of our leading lady! The imagination and creativity of the author is astounding! Dark, haunting and creepy, I got goosebumps from reading the tale, trying to work out where the story was headed, what was really happening to triss and the world of the besiders. All is set after the first world war and during the 1920s so you kinda get a deeper understanding of the social norms and ideals. Read if you like dark, disturbing fairy tales with hints of Neil gaiman, Enid blyton, Stephen king .

Having previously been enthralled by The Lie Tree I was once again spellbound by Francis Hardinge's brilliant storytelling in this novel. She has written both an exciting thriller and a magical adventure whilst at the same time inserting a number of intriguing undercurrents. One of the best writers around: read this and everything else she has written as I intend to do.