Reviews: (by author)

McNish, Cliff. The Silver Child. Minneapolis : Carolrhoda Books, 2005. $15.95

Strange things are happening in the polluted wasteland of Coldharbour. Six children are drawn into the wilderness of mud, twisted steel and garbage and as they come they begin to change. Thomas finds himself possessed by a mysterious power to comfort and heal. As he dodges dangerous gangs and forages for food amid the rubbish dumps he meets the weird twins, Emily and Freda, who seem almost insect-like as they scuttle about on all fours. The twins help Thomas organize a meager shelter, anticipating the arrival of other wanderers. Soon they are joined by Walter, a young boy who has become a giant in strength and stature. Later they will meet Helen who reads minds. But strangest of all is Milo whose physiology, fueled by an insatiable appetite, is metamorphosing into something utterly alien. Though he remains a boy at heart, Milo begins to molt, losing his hair and skin to become a golden child who glows in the dark. Helen brings Thomas and his companions to rescue Milo just as he begins his ultimate and most agonizing transformation. With their aid, he will become a guardian and protector of the earth against a vast and mysterious force whose roaring hunger threatens every living thing.

The Silver Child is the first book in Cliff McNish's trilogy entitled The Silver Sequence. This is an imaginative and darkly intriguing fantasy whose narrative viewpoint shifts from chapter to chapter as Milo , Thomas, and Helen take turns telling the story. Throughout, the focus is on how the main characters overcome crippling feelings of fear and mistrust to form a community. As they strive to accept both their own changes and those of their companions, they begin to appreciate their common traits and the complementary nature of their peculiar gifts. The book's underlying message speaks to the need for acceptance of individual differences and the strength to be found in diversity, but McNish doesn't belabor the point. It is a tribute to his talent that what remains unsaid often speaks the loudest. The exact nature of the malevolent unseen force whose roar haunts the small band of outcasts is left unclear, urging the reader on to the next book in the series, The Silver City .

Mark Janssen, January 2006

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