Search - The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, Bk 1)

DO NOT BE FOOLED! Our family listened to the audio of The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife - enjoying the action, while still having an uncomfortable feeling in the gut. When we got to the third book in the trilogy, The Amber Spyglass - we stopped listening. For the Christian - this is NOTHING SHORT OF BLASPHEMY. The entire series is about "killing God" in the author's own words. The third book in the worst - but all are bad....trying to set the trap to ensnare kids into the fantasy world of believing all this stuff. No, the demons, witches, spectors and talking animals didn't freak us out. It was the out-and-out lies of an athiest author that turned us off. So, IF YOU ARE CHRISTIAN....DON'T BOTHER WITH THIS SERIES.

This book is purely spectacular. Philip Pullman is a brilliant writer: he challenges younger readers with complex vocabulary, while keeping them reading with plot twists and action. Simultaneously, he writes a story that can be loved by people of all ages. It is a book that isn't at all fluffy, but instead very substantial for its genre. I read it when I was younger and loved it then. I still love it now.
This book does get a lot of criticism for being anti-religious, and to be honest, it is. It is quite blatantly anti-Christian. But it is still a great book, and, in my opinion, a must read.

I found the story to be original. The enjoyed how the characters were developed. Most of the supporting characters had stories explaining their relevance and role as part of the main story line. This is the kind of book I can re-read for many years to come.

This book is not as well written as Harry Potter or the Bartimaeus Trilogy, but it was okay. The story line got to be a little much - Lyra just didn't seem to be a believable heroine to me. There is a lot of action that keeps the book moving and is probably engaging for kids, but it isn't the best. I probably will not read the next two books. I would recommend instead: "The Bartimaeus Trilogy" by Jonathan Stroud or "The Giver" by Lois Lowry.