Revolver

Revolver

by Marcus Sedgwick (Author), Marcus Sedgwick (Author)

Synopsis

1910. A cabin north of the Arctic Circle. Fifteen-year-old Sig Andersson is alone. Alone, except for the corpse of his father, who died earlier that day after falling through a weak spot on the ice-covered lake. His sister, Anna, and step-mother, Nadya, have gone to the local town for help. Then comes a knock at the door. It's a man, the flash of a revolver's butt at his hip, and a mean glare in his eyes. Sig has never seen him before but Wolff claims to have unfinished business with his father. As Sig gradually learns the awful truth about Wolff's connection to his father, Sig finds his thoughts drawn to a certain box hidden on a shelf in the storeroom, in which lies his father's prized possession - a revolver. When Anna returns alone, and Wolff begins to close in, Sigs choice is pulled into sharp focus. Should he use the gun, or not?

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More Information

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 224
Edition: First Edition; 1st printing.
Publisher: Orion Childrens
Published: 16 Jul 2009

ISBN 10: 1842551868
ISBN 13: 9781842551868
Children’s book age: 12+ Years
Book Overview: A tense, psychological drama set in the snowy wilderness of the Arctic Circle, where a boy confronts a stranger come to take revenge on his dead father.
Prizes: Shortlisted for Carnegie Medal 2010 and Booktrust Teenage Prize 2010 and Independent Booksellers' Week Book of the Year Award: Children's Book of the Year 2010.

Media Reviews
Quality storytelling in this chilling Nordic thriller, tautly plotted with a clever twist. -- THE BOOKSELLER Fiona Noble A tense, psychological drama set in the snowy wilderness of the Arctic Circle... Gripping from the start it brings into sharp-focus decisions that 15 year-old Sig must make; decisions that could mean life or death, both for him and his remaining family. -- Julia Eccleshare LOVEREADING4KIDS Densely written and chilling in every sense of the word, Revolver is a rare little gem for teens and adults alike. THEBOOKBAG It is an account of the power of weaponry to level a playing field, which is something you don't often think about, but it is also a punchily written, first-rate action story -- Toby Clements THE TELEGRAPH this novel of only 167 pages is packed with more excitement and wisdom than many twice the length, and is one of my top recommendations for boys of 10+ this year -- Amanda Craig THE TIMES From the opening scene to the final, heart-stopping climax of this tense, edge-of-seat thriller the suspense is palpable when an avenging stranger with gold lust forces Sig to do the unthinkable. Truly electrifying and unforgettable. THE ROAR Brilliantly written characters, vivid locations and a deep and powerful story make Revolver a book not to be missed. It might be a quick read, but it's one that you won't forget in a hurry, and it's one that I'll be revisiting in the future. Highly recommended. WONDROUS READS BLOG The haunting atmosphere of the desolate Arctic Circle setting is a character in itself in this beautifully crafted thriller. -- Lindsey Stainer BOOKSELLER BUYERS GUIDE The pillars on which Sedgwick builds his work are meticulous research about weaponry, evocative language about this desolate landscape and the skilful balancing of contradictory arguments. The measure of the achievement is that these linguistic and dialectical skills merge into a whole that continuously sustains the reader's interest, a remarkable achievement. BOOKS FOR KEEPS Don't be misled by the slim size of this book - inside it crackles with more razor-sharp tension and tightly coiled plotting than books twice its length. Fourteen-year-old Sig finds his father frozen to death on the icy Arctic lake outside their cabin just before a violent stranger arrives with the disturbing truth about Sig's father's past. All Sig has to defend himself with is the old revolver his father gave him - but is it the answer, or will using it destroy his own values? -- Sally Morris DAILY MAIL (cont) How will he survive now that his sense of right and wrong has been challenged? Bang on target. -- Sally Morris DAILY MAIL Fra from being just a thrilling story of a young man's brutal and revelatory rite of passage, this is a tale of our times... one of conflicting ethics, moral mazes and learning to make your own choices -- Pam Norfolk LANCASHIRE EVENING POST Revolver is a very short book, which may be welcome to some readers after the huge final tomes of Harry Potter and the hundreds of pages of Patrick Ness. But it's not slight: the issue of whether violence is ever unavoidable is both topical and difficult, and this deceptively simple story raises enormous questions. -- Mary Hoffman THE GUARDIAN This book has done something important for me. And it has done it in a way so utterly and compellingly convincing that I shall henceforth consider Marcus Sedgwick a writer of the very highest order...This book should be on the shortlist of each and every fiction prize of the coming year, and that includes adult lists, because the story it tells is entirely unpatronising. -- Michael Thorn ACHUKA If any book deserves to have 'crossover' success, it is this one. Fans of Cormac McCarthy, viewers of Deadwood alike will find familiar themes confronted with a moving, moral grandeur. Marcus Sedgwick, you are the real deal. Revolver is a very fine achievement. A book that will stand the test of time as surely as one of the late stories of Tolstoy. -- Michael Thorn ACHUKA Revolver is an intensely atmospheric novel in a frozen landscape and this a desperate situation that keeps you gripped to the last murderous moment. Highly recommended... -- Sam North HACKWRITERS.COM brutal, terrifying story IRISH INDEPENDENT Marcus Sedgwick's REVOLVER is a slim volume and a quick read but don't let that fool you. The plot is so tightly coiled inside it feels as though the whole book could explode with one careless flip of the page. -- Keith Gray THE SCOTSMAN
Author Bio
Marcus Sedgwick used to work in children's publishing and before that he was a bookseller. He now happily writes full-time. He lives in Cambridge and has a young daughter, Alice.