Burning Mountain - the next children's classic?

Occasionally I change hats, and write rather than paint. Below is a recent review written for Hodder Children's Books, the publisher of Burning Mountain. Click on this website to read the York Press review as well, and to meet the author, Lucy Adlington.

Burning Mountain by L J Adlington.

It is not often that a novel written for young readers grips and holds the adult reader from start to finish. L J Adlington’s Burning Mountain is one that does. Spanning countries, generations and wars past and present, this deceptively simple story is destined to become a classic novel for teenagers.

Moving between modern England and wartime Italy, the unfolding wartime drama and modern mystery can be read on many levels. The seamless intertwining of past and present, the subtle mix of fact and fantasy and the complexity of the levels of message within the story make this novel not only an ideal text for classroom study, but also a powerful and contemporary contribution towards international understanding and peace.

Accidentally locked out in the rain, Denise and Craig seek refuge next door. An uneasy friendship is formed with their elderly neighbours who share an intriguing story with them. The repeated request is not clear. What did the crazy old lady next door want Denise to do?

The life and death issues that the children face as the tale unfolds provide ample opportunity for classroom discussion. The mystery from the past draws out lessons from WWII and ties them firmly to the present realities of the children’s life as they think of their brother fighting in Afghanistan.

Wartime social, ethical and political issues emerge as the young Vittoria and Erich face their challenges, differences, hopes and fears. When survival, rather than victory, becomes the aim, lines between friend and foe are blurred.

While the younger reader is given more obvious clues to follow and switches in time are marked by changing typefaces, the more sophisticated reader is given subtle hints and a sprinkling of Latin, German and Italian phrases to challenge without disrupting the story. A complex multi-levelled approach to solving the mystery can be found on every page, sometimes to be recognised only on a second look as the storyline pulls the reader in eager anticipation quickly through the pages.

Modern social problems don’t escape the attention of this talented writer as she exposes the realities of suburban life. Overriding all of this though is the message that war is not something that happens to other people in far away places. The reader is reminded that while the Battle of Cassino veterans who once were enemies meet in friendship, peace and reconciliation remains only a distant dream in many parts of the world today.

Proving that truth can be stranger than fiction, this well researched novel teaches as much as it enthrals. From an erupting volcano to a scruffy ragamuffin dog, each element has its place. Fast moving, colourful, with just enough hint of romance and empathy to soften the brutality of war, Burning Mountain leaves the reader challenged yet satisfied.

Reviewed by J K Scott MFA (Hons) P G Dip SNRT (Dist), BA, TTC.
Education Consultant, co-author of Listening and Speaking, English in the New Zealand Curriculum and former teacher of English and Media Studies in New Zealand secondary schools.