The Boy Without a Soul

Book of Gabrielle #2

by Michael Panckridge

An orphan with no memory of her past, Gabrielle's only guidance is a mysterious Voice that tells her she is not like other children, that she is on a quest that will lead her home. Still haunted by the Voice, and by the knowledge that she has been blessed, or cursed, with strange gifts, Gabrielle begins the year at a new school. She meets Michael and his younger brother, Jack. Gabrielle immediately realises that something is very wrong with Jack. Gabrielle must help Michael discover the truth behind his strange - and possibly deadly - younger brother.

144 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2011

About the author

Attending a conference called Getting Reluctant Readers Reading, Michael Panckridge skipped lunch to wander over to Victoria Park, home of the Collingwood Football Club. Sitting in the old commentary box on a cold, wintery afternoon, Michael dreamed up a story about a boy travelling back in time to watch footy matches in the past. That particular story never got to be, but the passion to write stories for children burned within. Fifteen years on, Michael is the author of over 40 books, selling more than 150 000 copies over a variety of genres. Sport was the dominant theme early, but The Cursed, The Vanishings and The Immortal attest to a darker side; spooky, sinister action-packed thrillers. Michael, with psychologist and school counsellor, Cathie Thornton, has also co-authored a book called Be Bully Free – an insightful, practical guide for the victims of bullying. Excited by the re-launch of the famous Legends series, Michael is also authoring a four book cricket series aligning with the hugely popular BBL and WWBL T20 cricket competitions.

Michael lives in Geelong and is a part time teacher.

Reviews

[Someone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read. Not as good as the first one but definitely worth a browse through.
I didn't really like how they showed scientists as this evil being (as I'm a scientist myself). People love the concept of evil scientists, but really, most (if not all) scientists study for the better of human beings and carry out experiments that causes as less harm as possible towards human beings and animals. Well I guess I'm a physicist so I have less understanding of what goes on in the biology department. Also, I have no idea how the scientist got all that money to do what she wanted but that's a minor thing.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a very nice book because it uses some descriptive words with great detail. The boy is really special he has no family, no past and does not even have memory. But he has a secret quest that he needs to accomplish. The main character Gabrielle begins in school and he finds out the a lot of different mysterious. So i think that this is a really awesome book for young readers and i recommend you to try reading this book also.

[Katharine (Ventureadlaxre)]

Katharine is a judge for the Sara Douglass 'Book Series' Award. This entry is the personal opinion of Katharine herself, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of any judging panel, the judging coordinator or the Aurealis Awards management team.

I won't be recording my thoughts (if I choose to) here until after the AA are over.

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was really good