Stone Heart: Book One

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

'Deep in the City something had been woken, so old that people had been walking past it for centuries without giving it a second look...'

When George breaks the dragon's head outside the Natural History Museum he awakes an ancient power. This prehistoric beast, sentry-still for centuries, hunts him down with a terrifying wrath. And this is just the beginning... The taints and spits - statues with opposing natures - are warring forces; wreaking deadly havoc on the city landscape. The World War One gunner offers protection of sorts; and the wisdom of the Sphinx is legendary. But George and his companion Edie are trapped in a world of danger. And worse - they are quite alone. The rest of London is oblivious to their plight.

This epic adventure exposes forces long-layered in the fabric of London. After entering its richly original and breathtaking world, the city streets and skyline will never again seem the same!

Excerpt provided by Syndetics

A city has many lives and layers. London has more than most. Not all the layers are underground, and not all the lives belong to the living.A twelve-year-old boy named George Chapman is about to find this out the hard way. On a school trip he's punished for something he didn't do. In a tiny act of rebellion, he lashes out at a small carving on the wall - unexpectedly breaking it off. And then something horrible does happen: a stone Pterodactyl unpeels from the wall and starts chasing him. George is already running before his mind starts trying to tell him this is impossible. Excerpted from Stoneheart by Charlie Fletcher All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

Fletcher 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. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

School Library Journal Review

Gr 5-9-When 12-year-old George breaks a carved dragon's head at the Natural History Museum, he enters a dangerous parallel world where statues come alive. He soon discovers that gargoyles and other malicious "taints" are pursuing him in revenge. Fortunately, the boy also meets human statues, or "spits," who help him search for the mysterious stoneheart that can free him from the wrath of the taints. The result is an action-packed fantasy filled with battles, chases, and an intriguing variety of characters. The steadfast Gunner becomes George's friend, but other spits are less trustworthy, making his search for the elusive stoneheart trickier. The boy reluctantly joins forces with Edie, a feisty girl with hidden powers of her own. The villains are particularly compelling, from the bizarre Grid Man to a fierce and powerful Minotaur. Then there's the ominous Walker, whose destiny is tied up with those of both George and Edie. As the action proceeds, readers learn more about the two heroes. George evolves from a frightened whiner into a capable and eventually heroic figure, while Edie's mysterious past is revealed in bits and pieces. Characterizations often take a backseat to the many clashes and narrow escapes, but the humans' relationships become more interesting as events proceed. The buildings and statues of London are depicted vividly enough to engage readers unfamiliar with the city. A satisfying conclusion resolves some plot threads and leaves others to be explored in the next stage of the planned trilogy.-Steven Engelfried, Multnomah County Library, OR (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

On a school trip to the Natural History Museum in London, a 12-year-old loner named George is banished for something he didn't do. Angry, he lashes out and breaks off a dragon's head carved onto the wall of the museum. Next thing he knows, a pterodactyl carving comes to life and begins to chase him. From Gunner, a walking, talking statue, George learns that he has entered another layer of reality, and that his arrival has started a new war between good spits (statues that are imbued with a soullike essence by their inspired makers) and evil taints (soulless carvings). With the advice of various spits, and the companionship of a girl named Edie, George seeks answers from two Sphinx statues, whose enigmatic clues lead the pair into a terrifying adventure. Creatively building on the plentiful gargoyles and other creepy stonework of its urban setting, this lengthy novel, the first in a planned trilogy, will draw capable readers for its suspenseful chase scenes, scary creatures, and highly original premise.--Tixier Herald, Diana Copyright 2007 Booklist

Horn Book Review

In this tightly written adventure, George wakes the statues of London and starts a battle in which he may be the first casualty. Joined by Edie, who's cursed with reliving the past, George races through the city hunting for ways to set things right. Fletcher's characters will grab readers, and the plot will pull them along at high speed. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

Kirkus Book Review

This series opener has appealing motifs but is tedious and longer than necessary. Twelve-year-old George gets in trouble on a museum field trip, stalks outside and angrily swings at a small stone carving. Shockingly, the dragon's head comes off in his hand. From that moment on, stone creatures are after him. A stone pterodactyl slides off the building and gives chase; as George races madly away, three stone salamanders join the pursuit. A statue of a Gunner from the Great War steps in and blasts the creatures to bits, but the respite is temporary. George has upset a balance he doesn't understand. His quest to put things right is aided by the Gunner and also by Edie, a girl of George's age who channels the past. They move through London, fighting desperately and seeking explanations from sphinxes and statues. Fletcher's action sequences are disappointingly dry. More intriguing are his philosophies about stone and "makers" (builders), and the protagonists' family histories, but these are too sparse, leaving the whole unsatisfying. (Fantasy. 10-12) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.