Their deliverance comes in the form of a glittering sea, which arrives wave upon wave, covering the prairie grasses as far the eye can see. It is the Sea of Izabella which has come to carry them to the Abarat, a series of 25 fantastical islands that each represent a different hour of the day and where the time never changes. Candy�s adventures take her from one magical island to the next, where she makes friends and encounters deadly foes.
All the while, Candy has the distinct feeling that she has been to Abarat before, which feels more like home to her than Minnesota. When she meets three women who seem to know her history as well as her future, they show her a glimpse of her life before she was even born. Then Candy understands that they are �preparing her for something, telling her to be ready to solve some major secrets.� (p. 370)
The plot of this fantasy begins in the �real� world of Chickentown, and Candy is transported to the fantasy world by a magical event � ocean waves that sweep across the plains of Minnesota. The fantasy world of Abarat holds one adventure after another for Candy, and she meets and foils perilous enemies on every hand. She is entrusted with a mysterious key early in the story, which she eventually realizes is the heart�s desire of the forces of evil. She realizes she must protect the key at all costs, or it will have dire consequences for all those inhabiting the �here and now� and possibly the �hereafter.�
Candy is a fantasy heroine who has her mission thrust upon her. Once the significance of her role in protecting Abarat is revealed to her, however, she embraces the challenges and dangers fearlessly. She reveals qualities of selflessness and courage, evolving from the role of a child to that of protector of the weak and oppressed. She quickly adapts to the demands of her new situation, and does things she never would have done in Chickentown. She steals food for survival, but is also quick to share it. She is able to temporarily surrender her well-being to the hands of near strangers, but feels a level of trust in them that she never had in her own family. School Library Journal feels that �Candy makes a fine protagonist, displaying strength, vulnerability, and a lack of the forced spunkiness displayed by some adventurous heroines.� (October 1, 2002)
The antagonists Candy faces are many. Some have human form, some are monstrous, intelligent beings, and some are automatons controlled by evil forces. They all want something from Candy and will stop at nothing to acquire it. Some want the mysterious key in her possession, and some want to possess Candy herself. They all have magical, superhuman powers and fantastical instruments at their disposal to achieve their malignant goals.
The theme involves a quest that Candy is called to fulfill. Although she does not fully understand her mission by the book�s end, it is clear that her adventures have been in preparation for her great calling. She is a young, powerless girl, who has been physically, verbally, and emotionally abused by authority figures all her life. Now she must call upon the iron resolve within her heart to accomplish great things that are beyond her imagination. She is eager to unravel the mystery of her mission: �If I learned to read the stars, I�d maybe discover my future up there. It would solve a lot of problems.� Her companion, Malingo, wisely counsels her to be patient: �Better to find out when the time�s right. Everything to its Hour.� (p. 387)
Clive Barker illustrated the book himself with dozens of expressionistic images of the weird creatures and lands of Abarat. They enhance the storytelling, conjuring images more vivid than the text could manage on its own. The first of a series of four books, this is a fine introduction to what promises to be more spine-tingling adventures for little Candy Quackenbush. �The multilayered adventure story not only embraces the lands of Oz, Wonderland, and Narnia but also offers a wink and a nod to Aldous Huxley's Brave New World.� (Booklist, September 1, 2002)
Awards
Original Voice Award
Bram Stoker Award (Nominee)
International Honor Guild Award
Best-Seller Lists
Amazon.com
Los Angeles Times
New York Times
Publishers Weekly
Relevant Websites
Clive Barker Website: http://www.clivebarker.com
The Books of Abarat: http://www.thebooksofabarat.com
Source
Books in Print [database online]. Available from http://www.booksinprint.com. Accessed 21 October 2004.
School of Library and Information Studies
TEXAS WOMAN'S UNIVERSITY