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Christopher’s life is pretty normal for a 12-year-old. His mother died young, so he’s being raised by his dad. The only unusual thing aside from that is that animals follow him around a lot.
His life changes dramatically after he goes to Scotland to spend some time with his mother’s father. Christopher’s grandfather welcomes him to his large home and land but tells him one thing is forbidden: he cannot climb to the very top of a hill nearby.
Of course, that just incites him to climb to the top. And what happens next draws him into a part of the world most humans don’t know about, let alone get to visit. The Archipelago is a group of islands where magic thrives and mythical creatures abound.
Christopher pairs up with a girl his age, Mal, who’s been noticing that the magic that powers everything is fading. And creatures are dying off. Not only that, but a man has just come to murder her. While she escaped his first attempt, now she’s on the run.
The two go on an odyssey to find out what’s happening — and to attempt to fix the problem. They traverse the seas, land on different islands, and see lots of magical creatures. They meet people — and creatures — who will help them and others who want to stop them. And then they will have to choose what price they are willing to pay to heal the world.
Impossible Creatures is a grand adventure that’s been a bestseller in Great Britain. It’s beautifully written and definitely magical and imaginative. It stars two tweens, and it acknowledges the gifts and strengths of children that age. I enjoyed it but wasn’t absolutely swept away. I did love the ending; it’s beautiful. I just didn’t get caught up in the story so much that I will be talking about it to everyone I know. It’s a great pick for middle-grade readers, and I can recommend it for them especially.
Rated: Mild. (Could be moderate for youngest readers, with content that may seem more intense to them than older readers.) Profanity includes 2 instances of the British version of the a-word, 2 uses of mild language, and 2 uses of British profanity (bl-). Violence includes attacks and attempted attacks by people and magical creatures. A would-be murderer tries to kill several times primarily using a knife and does succeed in killing a minor character at the beginning, though none of it is shown. A character is seriously wounded in the arm in a fight with a magical creature and it becomes severely infected.
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