It's Dark! Mysterious! Suspenseful! Tragic! A Preteen Book?

I would just like to preface this review by saying that I enjoy watching fantasy and science fiction on a screen but outside of Tolkien's Lord of the Kings, I am not well versed in the world of fantastical fiction. Still, that didn't stop me from enjoying this book. In fact, this book may be one of the finest books I have read in a long time.

From the start of the book, the reader is introduced to a young girl named Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon. In The Golden Compass daemons are the physical manifestation of the human soul. Each human being has an animal, which can change shapes when the individual is of a young age, who serves as both a protector and companion. From the first chapter of the book Lyra is roped into an intreging story of suspense and action. In England, children all across the country are being kidnapped. While rumors arise of a dark group called the "Gobblers" which kidnap the children for food, Lyra eventually finds out that things are more complicated than that. In fact her very world is turned upside down.

This book had more suspense than, honestly, anything else I read in a long time. I know I am becoming very repetitious but I don't know how else to convey the sincerity of my argument. While this book was written during the mid-90s, it is a shame that it did not receive the success of such books like those of the Harry Potter series. The characters in this book are so detailed and engaging. Even the somewhat of an anti-hero, a bear mind you, can be one of the most likeable characters in the entire novel.

While this is only the first installment in the trilogy of Dark Materials, it makes you want to run out and buy the others immediately.