 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Subtle Knife (His Dark Materials, Book 2)
- By Philip Pullman
- Genre: Fantasy
Common Sense Media says
Brilliant story; more fast-paced, violent than first book.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this brilliantly constructed story, even faster-paced than the first book, keeps readers breathless. There is some intense violence in this fantasy world: The child protagonists are attacked repeatedly and surrounded by soul-sucking ghosts, and the battles over the Knife, in which Will loses fingers, are bloody. Also, Will accidentally kills a man. But, the brilliant writing inspires imagination. Lyra and Will demonstrate loyalty, determination, and responsibility, even if they are not always honest.
What's the story?
Lyra's desperate adventures continue as she passes into a world called Cittàgazze, where she meets a boy named Will, destined to become the Bearer of the Subtle Knife, which can cut anything, even the boundaries between worlds. Meanwhile, the nefarious Mrs. Coulter is out to stop Lyra from fulfilling her destiny, everyone is after the knife, and Lord Asriel is amassing the greatest army ever gathered for an assault on The Authority who is, well, God. And as happened once before, the angels are lining up on both sides.
Is it any good?
Nonstop action and stunning imagination make this a more-than-worthy sequel. In fact, these two elements make this even better than The Golden Compass, its astonishing predecessor. First, this book starts with a bang and never lets up. Second, this book showcases Pullman's incredible imagination. The author writes poetically, and with a scope of vision that goes far beyond that of ordinary fantasy, and which is, at times, astonishingly reckless and even bizarre. Readers not only experience the beauty of his words, but the excitement of seeing just how far he can and will go. The relative simplicity of Pullman's lyricism is what makes this trilogy accessible to bright tweens and teens, while still challenging adults. The ambition and the sheer audacity of this series are breathtaking.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how this book compares to the first book. Common Sense marked the first book, The Golden Compass, OK for 10 and older, but said this one is better for 12 and up. Do you agree? Why do series tend to get darker and more violent as they go on?
And speaking of the violence, what did you think of some of the intense stuff here? Like Will losing his fingers? Does the fantasy context make this violence easier to handle?
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AGE
This book and all the others in the series have a wonderful message. People talk about the message of "killing God" you obviously did not read the book or have not been educated enough to understand anything. I am a christian and do not find it at all offensive. The children release "God"/"The Authority" as he is called in the book from a prison that he has been encased in so that he could now be apart of everything. And he was being worshiped and used as a form of control through the churches when in reality he was not the real God the real God was never seen in the book only eluded to as the creator of dust and how he created dust which then created everything else...and the authority lied to everyone else claiming to have created it himself when he was himself created.
Please read these books and allow your children to read it. It has an interesting twist and story that in timeless and should be read by anyone. Do not give into letting others dogmatically look at the book and please come at it with a fresh mind and openness to let yourself be transported to another world and time to truly enjoy this wonderful story set.
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AGE
Read them in order
These books are riveting! I loved all 3 in the series. Definitely read them in order to understand the sequence. I love the strong female character and the platonic relationship between her and the boy. I also love the animal alter-ego idea.
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AGE
this is a perfect book for early teens
I think this is a realy good book as it has a lot of scenes that teach children how life is or was in England.
The plot is good and you don´t get tired of reading it.
Also it shows that sometimes you must make sacrifices in order to mak the right thinng.
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AGE
great
great, great, great book. i love how it turns everything you know about everything completely on its head. there are a couple of boring parts but they are few and far between and are worth the great story.
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AGE
DO NOT READ THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Its sad that if the author wouldn't have put so much athiesm in it it would have most likely been a good book. but he had to ruin it with his anti christian views. I mean the little girls ability t o lie, to me thats telling us that its okay to lie. and to be graphic and violent. this book is not good to read if you want to be confused between whats right and wrong. they are most definitley wrong bout it being for kids and teens. Its just trying to tell us its okay to disobey are parents,lie,cheat,kill,to worship the devil.I mean who in the world would want everything good to be bad and bad to be good????I don't! I must say I'm ashamed to have read the first book and i'm most def not reading this one!!!!
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AGE
I Cried My Eyes Out
After reading the first book, I wasn't sure if I would read THE SUBTLE KNIFE. Now, I'm glad I did! Masterfully constructed with a fast paced plot and alot of emotion!
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AGE
Started out as a good story, but has a major flaw
Even though the story is well written, I was deeply disappointed to see the direction this book was going. God is the bad guy! This will send a deeply conflicting message to youth who choose to have faith in God. I felt the story was very anti-religious (regardless of what faith a person may belong). This story is more appropriate for older youth who are grounded in their faith. I was very disappointed as the story developed.
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AGE
Much better then the first!
It's really good, and I really like the way that it reaches back to the origin of chrisianity. Somehow it makes it different and more interesting then most books. I also like the way it got much more complicated then "the golden compass". Now you really feel the tension and want to go on.
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AGE
do not listen to the naysayers
I read all of the other reviews and i am amazed. i read it when i was 9 and it was not until i read the reviews that i saw how people could EVER think it was anti god. It is fantasy, seriously. It is not meant to be like the real world. If your kids will get confused then they should not be reading fantasy. and yeah i am christian and i do go to church. Seriously........
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| Topics: | magic and fantasy |
| Author: | Philip Pullman |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Fantasy |
| Publisher: | Knopf |
| Publication date: | January 1, 1997 |
| Number of pages: | 352 |
| Paperback price: | $11.95 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 12 - 12 |
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