Stoneheart

May 14, 2007
F
letcher has an intriguing premise at the heart of his YA debut, the first in a planned trilogy, but the execution is flat. Twelve-year-old George Chapman is living a life that feels “pale and gray and washed out,” missing his father and struggling to fit in. On a class outing to a museum, he is blamed for something he didn't do; in anger, he breaks a carved dragon's head protruding from a wall. Moments later, a stone pterodactyl on another wall comes alive and chases George through the streets of London. A man named Gunner comes to his rescue; he turns out to be a “spit,” a statue made in the image of a living person and brought to life imbued with a bit of that person's spirit. Taints, conversely—like the gargoyles and dragons that suddenly pose such a threat to George—are dangerous precisely because they have nothing human in them. Stone carvings spring to life everywhere, furious with George for his act of destruction; a riddle contest with a nasty Sphinx reveals that George needs to find something called the Stone Heart to save his life and repair what he has broken. His quest takes him to an alternate, unseen London (one of many “un-Londons”), and eventually to a Minotaur's maze in the heart of the city. There is an ironic lifelessness to Fletcher's tale, particularly his protagonist who doesn't ring true; George is a bit more likeable at the finale, as he prepares to fight the murderous Walker in the sequel, but it may be too late for readers. Ages 10-up.

In the tradition of Neil Gaiman's NEVERWHERE, Charlie Fletcher spins a tale about the unseen half of London. When George stumbles upon this world, he must defend himself against the living statues attacking him and get answers from dubious and shady characters that also inhabit this realm. With sole partner Edie, a magnet for trouble, his chances of surviving the night are slim. It's all compelling, to say the least. Jim Dale pulls listeners in from the beginning and keeps their attention throughout with his dynamic and energetic voice. However, his performance is not entirely flawless; his voices for female characters do not maintain the same consistency he manages with his male characters. L.E. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine