Sabrina Fludde

Plynlimon

by Pauline Fisk (Artist)

When Abren becomes conscious of her surroundings, she is struggling to get out of the flooded river Severn with her only possession, a beautifully embroidered cloth, clutched in her arms. What is she doing in the water, who is she, where can she go And so begins the unfolding of a story, that snakes and turns like the river itself, surprising the reader on every level. A wonderful magical fantasy of a story that follows the journey of a girl's life over many centuries and across huge terrain. Pauline Fisk is a marvellous storyteller whose canvas is huge and whose delving into mythology makes for astounding reading. Praise for Sabrina 'Ancient and modern worlds are cleverly entwined in a multi-layered novel packed with big writing and even bigger ideas' Guardian 'A magical, dreamy fantasy that takes hold if you and, like the river, carries you along in its powerful current' Financial Times (Pick of the Month)

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Mystery

1 pages, Paperback

First published May 3, 2002

About the author

Died January 25, 2015.

Pauline Fisk is the author of eleven novels for young people of all ages. More can be found about her by going to her website.

Reviews

[Emily]

It started out OK, but the story never developed enough for me. It seemed like the author kept dragging out the main story line and never arrived at any solid plot. It was entertaining until the part near the end when the main character finds out who her parents are and what she really is. Kinda anti-climatic for me.

[Gary Pryke]

Starts in quite an interesting way, rushes along picking up speed but then meanders before tailing off to a dribble. Good enough for me to finish but dull enough for me to feel that it was perhaps a waste of time.

[Stephen Hayes]

A book where the protagonist has no memory and no motive seems pretty weird and pointless. A girl washes up on a river bank in a town she doesn't remember having been in before. She doesn't remember her family, her name or her past, yet seems to remember how things work and what people use them for. People befriend her, and she runs away, without ant discernible motive.

About halfway through the story began to perk up. There is a rising sense of danger, and things begin to look more and more ominous, and there was actually some tension/ I even began to care for the main character, and what might happen to her. But after about 50 pages that all disappears into a bog.

A characterless and motiveless main character and all the other characters being like shopwindow mannequis doesn't make for a very interesting book. At one point the main character is a puddle of water, and she might as well have been that for the rest of the book. After reading this one I have more appreciation for those writing manuals that stress the importance of motivation in the characters in a story.

[Victoria Vivente]

The Secret of Sabrina Fludde is a work of art for thoughtful, imaginative readers. It belongs on the shelf alongside other luminous, place-based fantasies like Frances Hardinge's Cuckoo Song, David Almond's Skellig, or the mythic landscapes of Alan Garner. It is a perfect choice for readers who love language, atmosphere, and stories that explore the deep, often subconscious, connections between people and the ancient landscapes they inhabit. A poignant and beautifully strange book that deserves rediscovery by a new generation.

[Nhaoyjj]

Very interesting..

[Tiana]

In all honesty, I started reading this book thinking that I was going to dislike it for some reason.

Although he grammar is horrible, (there are more sentences starting with the words 'and' and 'but' then I have EVER seen in my life) I still really liked the book. I couldn't bring myself to give it a 5-star rating due to this fact though, seeing that it's one of my biggest pet peeves.

[Z]

I was not a big fan of this book. Something about it seemed too simplistic to me, though it's hard for me to figure out exactly what that was. Still, the girl-goes-on-a-quest story line wasn't too bad.

[Belle]

Who am I? Where am I? Why am I here? Where did I come from?
The girl nicknamed Abren asks herself these questions because she truly doesn't know. Can she find out before it's too late to get home?

[Selah Bell]

Who am I? Where am I? Why am I here? Where did I come from?
The girl nicknamed Abren asks herself these questions because she truly doesn't know. Can she find out before it's too late to get home?

[Julie]

Intriguing story of a lost girl swept down-river and the adventures she has when she struggles out on to dry land. A bit stilted at one point, but a really good tale nonetheless. Enjoyable.