Description

From the winner of the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize

This is a story about a boy named Kester. He is extraordinary, but he doesn’t know that yet. All he knows, at this very moment, is this:
1. There is a flock of excited pigeons in his bedroom.
2. They are talking to him.
3. His life will never be quite the same again…

Kester lives in a land in quarantine. A deadly virus has killed all the animals except pests and it’s expected to be equally dangerous to humans. But when Kester realises he can talk to the pests, he finds they have great hope invested in him.

A captivating animal adventure destined to be loved by readers of all ages.

Publisher Review

'Splendid stuff' Eva Ibbotson. * Eva Ibbotson * 'Thrilling ... Written in a vivid, urgent style, its sense of loss at all the creatures we have lost or are losing may be as critical to the new generation as Tarka the Otter' Times. * Times * 'Inventive, with laughs, tears and cliffhangers' Sunday Times. * Sunday Times * 'The sequel had better come soon' Observer. * Observer * 'Gripping, original and memorable' Francesca Simon. * Francesca Simon * 'A darkly comic and hugely inventive adventure ... it could be the next big thing' Eoin Colfer. * Eoin Colfer * 'An action-packed, dystopian eco-thriller with memorable characters, both animal and human, and a powerful message about the interdependence of man and nature. A promising debut' Daily Mail. * Daily Mail * 'I haven't read a book this good and interesting since The Hunger Games ... an edge-of-your-seat fast-paced read' Guardian Children's website. * Guardian Children's website *