The Creature Keeper

by Damaris Young

Creepy Direspire Hall sits glowering on the moors - and if you stray too close then beware the growls and scary sounds from within... When animal lover Cora learns that Direspire's mysterious owner is looking for a new Creature Keeper, she realises this might just be the chance she's looking for to save her parents' farm. But Direspire Hall is a spooky place and the strange creatures who live there are nothing like Cora is expecting. As Cora settles into her new life, it soon becomes clear that Direspire has its secrets, and that somebody will do whatever it takes to keep them...

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2020

Reviews

[Jade Ratley]

This one came out at an incredibly high 3 star on CAWPILE, with an overall rating of 6.86 out of 10.
I really enjoyed this read, it was heartwarming and carried a great moral throughout it. I adored our main character, Cora, and the relationships she develops with the creatures.

I had a fun time reading this one and would for sure recommend, however, there were certain things that I think makes this book miss the mark for me a little bit - the ending for example seemed a little foggy and too easy, with such the build-up and how strong Cora and the creatures came to be, I expected more of that.

I would love to explore more creatures from the four realms, and see more of Coras life creature keeping, if there were ever to be more from this world, I would love to read it.

[Jo Clarke]

‘The Creature Keeper,’ is a thoughtful and intriguing tale which is bound to capture the imagination of readers. Damaris introduces us to a whole host of magical and extraordinary creatures who completely take her breath away but she soon realises that their lives are a shadow of what they should be. Enclosed in a glasshouse with not enough room to live properly, she knows that it’s not fair to them. Her anguish at wanting to protect them but knowing that her job is helping to look after her family is apparent. But Cora is daring and courageous and decides to risk everything before finding herself mixed up in a dangerous plan which would put the creatures in terrible jeopardy. With strong themes of conservation, it illustrates to the reader the importance of looking after the world we live in a conscious manner not at the expense of those creatures we want to save. A wondrous and compelling tale which is bound to enchant readers.

[Laura Cullen]

My nearly 9-year-old loved this book!
I read it out loud to her over several nights.
There were audible gasps of surprise, and she was delighted with the twists in the plot. There was no hesitation for the five star review either.

[Helen]

Really good book.
The plot was interesting and I liked the concept of a child in charge of exotic animals.
The writing was brilliant.

[Paula Hale]

LOVE LOVE LOVED this! Absolutely brilliant. I am going to use it as our first class read when we return in January 🙂

[Lana Lazar]

Spectacular worldbuilding and an important moral - LOVED it!

[Marie Basting]

A Heartwarming Adventure With A Host of Enchanting Creatures

A great concept that sees shy and unassuming Cora unexpectedly in charge of a range of mysterious and misunderstood creatures. Children will love the magical animals of Direspire Hall and they'll be rooting for Cora and her sidekick Griff every step of the way as Cora shows that shy definitely doesn't mean weak or passive. Will appeal to animal and adventure lovers 8+.

[Tammie]

Read- November 2021
- This was a cute read, nothing mind breaking, but cute.

[Max Greeves]

3.5 stars

[Heather]

All of the children in my school book club loved this book! Lovely story full of imagination.

[Miss Kim]

Absolutely wonderful. Imaginative, immersive, and just scary enough for its intended audience to root for its heroes. Loved this one!

[Gabz]

Couldn't really connect with it. Maybe it's the framing for the intended audience, but I struggled to become interested in Cora's story.