Mandragora

by David McRobbie

Mandragora is the story of four old curses that destroyed a 19th century sailing ship, the Dunarling, and most of her passengers and crew. A hundred years later four teenagers uncover the objects that carried the curses — and the evil starts again, but this time in the small coastal town that bears the name of the doomed ship. Adam Hardy, with help from Catriona Chisholm, begins to unravel details of the curses that taunted and terrified both passengers and crew during Dunarling’s fatal voyage from Scotland to Australia.
But Adam is distracted from these important discoveries by his growing attraction to Catriona. Then all too slowly he realises it’s the wrong time to take his mind off what he is finding out.
Mandragora is two intertwining teenage love stories, but a hundred years apart. It’s also a tale of demonology, danger and deceit — and deduction.

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Fiction, Read For School

ebook

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

David McRobbie is a full-time writer and lives in Brisbane. David is the author of Flying with Granny, Prices, and Mandragora, which was short-listed for the 1992 Children's Book Council of the Year Award for Older Readers. David's most recent titles, Schemes, Wages of Wayne, This Book is Haunted and Timelock were published in 1993.

Reviews

[Tia Holt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bloody lit ayyyyy

[Mender · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, about a shipwreck and a curse and hidden treasure and altogether what YA should be. The idea of mandrake dolls having little coffins and being voodoo dolls was apparently real. Awesome.

[Simon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read it for year 8 English. Nothing to write home about.

[Anna Hepworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bit heavy handed in places, although the characters are mostly believable teens. Some interesting elements to the supernatural plot line.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book years ago for school and really enjoyed it.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read with mystery and fantasy curses.

[Tim Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was involved in the publication of this book and only have fond memories of the experience, and the author. Probably hard to find these days, but a gem, if you stubble across it!

[ruby prosser · Rating 2 out of 5]

read 2 years ago for my english class, not memorable

[Kumi · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 or 5
The book was excellent and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
McRobbie embeds little stories within a story which makes it a more compelling novel for a reader and the author's flow on the narration of events is just impressive.
I feel as if this book is highly underrated due to voodoos and curses not appealing to the majority.
The book provides a great mixture of mystery throughout the story; lovely and realistic romance between the characters; thrilling events which caused me the urge to stop reading because I was too excited, and the way it could build frustration and sympathise with the main character while he was trying to explain the impossible.
All in all, Mandragora by David McRobbie is filled with great balance in different genres which further piques the reader.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
This novel actually gave me the creeps. I mean the coincidences! Dayum.