Children
with a taste for magic and fantasy with find
both - and a dollop of humour - in this second
tale of Samuel Blink and his sister, Martha.
... This entertaining thriller oozes comedy
and suspense in equal measure and builds a
dark atmosphere of malevolence that every
right-thinking child with devour with nervous
glee.Sally Morris,
The Daily Mail
Haig
describes the Trolls' habits with such sickening
relish that you want to look away. The
Daily Telegraph
This
book is just as delightful as Samuel Blink
and the Forbidden Forest (Putnam, 2007). It
continues the story of Samuel and Martha,
along with their Norwegian aunt and uncle
and the trolls who live in the neighboring
forest. The siblings are starting school,
which is not an easy thing when you only speak
English. Samuel has enough problems without
the arrival of Troll-Son, who is hiding from
the Betterer, an adult troll who uses various
torture techniques to make the trolls more
human. Meanwhile, Martha is becoming friendly
with Cornelia, who has motives other than
friendship for spending time with her. When
the worlds of the trolls and the humans fully
connect, there is no guessing what will happen.
Enthusiastically portrayed with all of their
quirks, the characters are engaging. Fast
pacing adds to the readability of the book,
and the combination of fantasy and broad humor
is very well done. School
Library Journal
Well-paced
suspense, sympathetic (or satisfyingly wicked)
characters and a lovingly described Norwegian
setting make this an above-average fantasy.
Kirkus Review
The
Runaway Troll is a really gripping story that
has many twists and turns plus some truly
tragic and magic moments. Haig keeps everything
zinging along nicely with his wonderful sense
of humour and unique quirky style. I would
strongly recommend this book to human and
troll alike! Fantasy
Book Review
.
. . thoroughly engaging and readable www.thebookbag.co.uk
Fast, fun and furious action with a cast of
humorous characters and creatures. A runaway
hit TBK
SAMUEL
BLINK AND THE RUNAWAY TROLL is that unusual
specimen in literature --- a sequel that is
just as good as, if not better than, its predecessor.
Having established the mythology of the Forbidden
Forest in the first novel (and cleverly summarized
it in a "What I Did on My Summer Vacation"
essay for new readers), Haig tightens his
focus here, choosing to concentrate on the
dynamics of three very different families:
Magnus Myklebust's, Samuel Blink's and Troll-Son's.
As he explores the different ways family members
both hurt and rescue one another, he also
examines ideas of heroism, loyalty and revenge.
That's not to say that the book is dark or
ponderous. On the contrary, funny asides,
witty descriptions and hilarious situations
help keep readers laughing right along ---
even as they have plenty to think about. Norah
Piehl, Kidreads.com
... balances good old
knockabout fun with some deeper notiosn of
family love and loss as our young troll learns
that grass isn't necessarily greener on the
other side. The
Stirling Observer
I absolutely loved this book. It was funny
and entertaining, as well as having suspense.
I enjoyed it so much! I liked how it was written:
each character had their thoughts put in some
way or another. At first, I thought the book
would be more for younger kids, but once I
got to reading, I was hooked. The writing
was just so easy to get attached to. What
made it even better was that I am Norwegian.
I thought it was fun to read a book that takes
place in Norway. I recommend SAMUEL BLINK
AND THE RUNAWAY TROLL to anyone, really. I
hope you will enjoy it as much as I did! teensreadtoo.com
Like the last book, funny, perceptive and
well-written, and again there’s a lovely
over-the-top villain. Recommended from senior
primary upwards. Storytimebooks
Be
warned! Don’t go for a walk in the shadow
forest lest you might not return. Poor Samuel
Blink must go into the dreaded woods to somehow
find his sister and bring her back alive somehow.
With fast-flowing action and encounters with
fantastical creatures throughout, the author
skilfully manages to maintain a strong sense
of foreboding and suspense right up until
the dramatic conclusion of this creepy tale.
Lovereading.com
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