A Song for Ella Grey - David Almond

"I'm the one who's left behind. I'm the one to tell the tale. I knew them both...knew how they lived and how they died.

Claire is Ella Grey's best friend. She's there when the whirlwind arrives on the scene: catapulted into a North East landscape of gutted shipyards; of high arched bridges and ancient collapsed mines. She witnesses a love so dramatic it is as if her best friend has been captured and taken from her. But the loss of her friend to the arms of Orpheus is nothing compared to the loss she feels when Ella is taken from the world. This is her story - as she bears witness to a love so complete; so sure, that not even death can prove final."

Compelling yet disturbing, this is a perfect marriage of myth and modern story. It leaves behind all the stereotypes of a young adult novel and it feels much more mature and intelligent than most books in this genre. The characters were original but still mirrored the ancient myth. I am in love with the writing and I think that A Song For Ella Grey outshone many of his previous books, such as Skellig and My Name is Mina.

Ordinary as they may have seemed compared to some of the later scenes in the book, I loved the opening scenes where the group of friends make music and play by the sea; they seemed so real yet with a dream like quality. While I would have liked to have found out more about the minor characters in the group and their lives, I also like the way that this novel has many of the characteristics of a fable, in that it revolves around the central characters, Claire, Orpheus and Ella; most of their friends simply serve as a backdrop for their story. This way of telling the story also shows how, later in the book, Claire becomes worried and almost possessive of Ella, spending less time with the others.

The last chapters concerning the fate of Orpheus I didn't enjoy. I love a dreamlike open to interpretation ending but this pushed it a little too far for me.

This book would not be complete without its stunning cover. It is a rather abstract, artistic design, complete with pieces of metallic blue and amazing detail. I see so many novels with ugly or boring covers that I definitely appreciate books like this when they come my way.

Age Rating I would say 13+. They drink alcohol on a beach and "make love". There is also one gruesome scene at the end which may or may not have actually happened.