Review Blog

Nov 17 2009

Glister: The House Hunt by Andi Watson

Walker Books, 2009. ISBN 9781406320497. Book 2.
(Ages 9 and up) On first glance, this book held little appeal. The cover appeared simplistic with a lack of colour variation; the cartoon style was not my personal favourite, especially as it was all presented in a dull teal colour. On finally deciding to begin the story however, I was considerably more impressed.
Glister, 'a magnet for the odd and peculiar', lives in Chilblain Hall, a somewhat magical home which is definitely a major character in this graphic novel. There are similarities to Hogwarts and its moving staircases as the Hall sprouts an extra wing, on occasion, before having it again magically disappear. Problems begin when the Chairman of the Village-in-Bloom competition insults the Hall. The house is miffed so uproots and runs away. Although Glister and her father relocate to a tree house and her father begins to take an interest in their modern new home, Glister soon begins to miss the Hall and sets out to retrieve it. With a little help from the 'Ghostly Writer', Philippa Veil, a happy resolution is reached.
Despite my initial reluctance, I rather enjoyed Andi Watson's humour and clever cartoons. Given the amusing characters and entertaining storyline, this series should work well for children who, although more mature readers, are looking for more depth of plot without ploughing through dense amounts of text.
Jo Schenkel