title: The Book of Dead Days
author:  Marcus Sedgwick 
description: *Starred Review* Gr. 6-9. Set during the dead days between Christmas and New Year's in a crumbling, old, European-like city, this story is as dark as a winter's night, illuminated with flashes of shooting-star brilliance. Once an urchin, Boy now belongs to Valerian, a magician. Although the master treats the child poorly, Boy follows his orders dutifully; Valerian is all he has got. So when Valerian reveals that he has only a few days to live (a pact with the devil is coming due), Boy winds his way through the fetid stink of the city, following Valerian's mysterious and dangerous instructions in a race to save his master's life. Sedgwick's highly visual writing makes for a true movie of the mind. It is reminiscent of Philip Pullman's work, with each detail adding to the fullness of Sedgwick's alternative world. Also like Pullman, Sedgwick draws characters so magnetic that readers will find it hard to look away. The plot is convoluted in places, information is dispensed a bit too slowly, and a few key points want explanation (about one, a character says, "We may never know"). Perhaps the loose ends will be tied up in the sequel, which is planned for 2005 (hopefully a note about it will be on the final dust jacket). This is a haunting novel, and the possibility of more is definitely enticing. <i>Ilene Cooper</i><br /><i>Copyright  American Library Association. All rights reserved</i>
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  The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real
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