Clay

By David Almond

Fourteen-year-old Davie and his best friend, Geordie, are altar boys at their local Catholic Church. They’re full of mischief, but that all changes when Stephen Rose comes to town. Father O’Mahoney thinks it would be a good idea for Davie and Geordie to befriend him—maybe some of their good nature will rub off on this unhappy soul. But it’s Stephen who sees something special in Davie.

Stephen’s a gifted sculptor. One day as Davie looks on, Stephen brings a tiny figure to life. It’s a talent he has, the gift of creation—and he knows that Davie has this talent, too. Davie allows Stephen to convince him to help bring a life-size figure to life—and Clay is born. Clay is innocent, but Stephen has special plans for him.

What has Davie helped to unleash on the world?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Mar 11, 2008
• ISBN: 9780375846465

David Almond

David Almond is an experienced author who specializes in paranormal fiction. The recipient of a Hans Christian Andersen Award, a Carnegie Medal, and a Michael L. Printz Award, he currently resides in England.

Reviews for Clay

[theeclecticreview · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is very disturbing. I've never read anything like it.

[hadden_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Interesting book about some boys in England, one of whom is able to make a sort of golem out of clay to attack larger kids who are bullying them. The bully is killed, and one of the boys is confused about what part he played in bringing the monster to life, and yet felling sorrow when the monster had to be destroyed. A good story about the confusion and uncertainty of adolescence and the changes in life. And how easy it is to be manipulated by others, especially in the pursuit of power and control over life- especially your own!

[prop2gether · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Clay is an unusual set-up for a coming of age type of story. Davie and Georgie, two “good” altar boys, are urged by their parish priest and Davie’s mum to become friendly with the new boy in town, Stephen Rose. Davie and Georgie have their own problems, with a bully on their heels, and Davie’s nascent interest in a girl, and are not that interested in Stephen Rose. Stephen’s background is suspicious to them—his father’s dead, his mum is locked away in a mental home, he was kicked out of a seminary school, and he’s living with his only living relative, a crazy very religious aunt. But Stephen is attracted to Davie and introduces him to new adventures—including the creation from riverbed clay of a living figure Davie names Clay. There are questions of faith, love, family, hate, revenge, and redemption, all wrapped up in one young man’s dilemma of dealing with a friend who isn’t such a good friend.

[aangela1010_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Disturbing but I can't pinpoint exact reasons. Some might like it; for young adult boys.

[whisper1_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The words unsettling, creepy, supernaturally eerie, bizarre, spooky and unconventional come to mind when describing this book.Geordie and Davie are thirteen and learning to be tough when facing the town bully Martin Mould and his small gang of near do wells. The situation quickly gets out of hand when the physical altercations tend toward violence.When Stephen Rose comes to town, this mysterious character about whom little is known but much is speculated molds and exerts evil influence upon Davie with disastrous consequences.This dark tale is primarily about Stephen and Davie who attempt to play God. Creepy Stephen Rose has the ability to form lifelike figures from clay. Seeking revenge on Martin Mould, together Stephen and Davie fashion a clay man who, in a zombie like trance, comes to life and obeys their commands.I'd like to write a nice tidy ending to the story, but there isn't one. I'm still sorting through my feelings/thoughts about this book. I thoroughly enjoyed all other Almond books I read, but I think I should have left this one on the book shelf.

[sherton_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is very disturbing. I've never read anything like it.

[smithsj01_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I expected an average YA book here but I should've remembered the wonderful spookiness 'Skellig' gave me because this book chilled me to the bones in places. An amazing book that easily crosses over from the children to adult's market. I must go on and eventually read some more by David Almond as he is a fantastic writer. I've read 'Skellig' as a teacher several times and also for personal pleasure and I can see plenty of opportunities for 'Clay' to be used in the classroom. It would open up a range of discussion about religion, death and conflict. Perfect for an English, RE, PHSE or Citizenship lesson plus others! But enough about school stuff, what was the book like? In one word AMAZING. I had started it the night before but only read about 30 pages or so and found it mediocre, I wasn't sure how it would progress. When I picked it up last night I couldn't put it down and read the remainder in one sitting. I genuinely had no idea what was going to happen, by the time I was approaching the ending what I expected to happen didn't and I was continually amazed. It surprisingly became quite a page turner. Davie is a wonderful character but wait until you meet Stephen Rose. I can't work out who is depicted on the front cover out of these two characters. The other characters for me are just a sideline, it is the relationship between Davie and Stephen that is purely magical, frightening and fascinating to watch/read. The plot is well-constructed and like I said, apart from the opening, it is captivating. It is set in the north East - Felling to be precise, so there are occasional bits of dialect but not much. The only irritating aspect was the use of 'bliddy hell', I didn't feel this sounded right. If you have read 'Skellig' then I'd say this is aimed at a slightly older audience because of the themes. Great chapter lengths - 5 or 6 pages in a hardback on average. Superb cliff-hangers, all in all you should race through the novel because of the way it is written.

[francescadefreitas · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a haunting tale set in an unspecified recent past that seems both more innocent yet more dangerous than our own time. Two altar boys are plotting revenge on the gang from the next neighbourhood, and the arrival of a new boy to the street brings opportunity and menace. I found the oirish dialect little off-putting at first, but I stopped noting it once I got caught up in the story. The horror in this story comes from the ambiguity - everything is capable of great beauty, and of great evil.

[mcgarry_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Yr 7 - Yr 8. There's a stranger in town - Stephen Rose. He's got waxy skin, haunting eyes, a sickly smell. No parents. No friends. He's come to live with Crazy Mary. There are so many tales and rumours about him. One thing's certain: there's magic in the weird creatures he makes in clay. Should Davie and Geordie keep away? Or should they get close? Could Stephen be an ally in their bitter struggle against monstrous Mouldy and his gang?

[lindamamak · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another of David ALmond's books to bring the fiction into reality. Reminds you of SKellig

[catnelson_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Davie and his friend Geordie are fascinated by an older boy named Stephen Rose who is new to town and their parish. Stephen left his previous school under scandalous circumstances, and his talents with molding clay seem innocuous on the surface. Revenge against a neighborhood thug, however, steers Davie's friendship with Stephen down a destructive path in this forbidding, thoughtful and provocative novel.