Book Review – D (A Tale of Two Worlds) by Michel Faber
Dhikilo gazed through the doorway at the world beyond. This was her last opportunity to run back to safety. She thought about it. But only for a moment. An adventure was waiting for her.
It all starts on the morning the letter D disappears from the language. First, it vanishes from her parents’ conversation at breakfast, then from the road signs outside, and from her school dinners. Soon the local dentist and the neighbour’s Dalmatian are missing, and even the Donkey Derby has been called off.
Though she doesn’t know why, Dhikilo is summoned to the home of her old history teacher Professor Dodderfield and his faithful Labrador, Nelly Robinson. And this is where our story begins.
Set between England and the wintery land of Liminus, a world enslaved by the monstrous Gamp and populated by fearsome, enchanting creatures, D (Tale of Two Worlds) is a mesmerising tale of friendship and bravery in an uncertain world. Told with simple beauty and warmth, its celebration of moral courage and freethinking is a powerful reminder of our human capacity for strength, hope and justice.
My rating:
I went in seeing this as a YA read, and it’s really more of a middle grade. But it has a healthy dose of adventure, peril and more than a little fun. It’s an enjoyable read! Or an enjoyable rea 😉
I did quite like how well the missing d became a big problem and how fun some of the situations became because of it. It was a little repetitive in places, as dhikilo often translates the speech to include the letter d. But then large parts are also written without any d’s at all which is incredibly impressive!
The adventure itself didn’t quite feel quest-like to me, despite technically being one. It’s a little too “we’ll just go find out what’s happening” and not enough purpose or drive behind it – dhikilo doesn’t really even want to be there! And sadly that does show on the page a little. There’s also not enough purpose behind the villain – it is all a little two dimensional.
Having said that, it’s still enjoyable and fun, and a nice quick read too. 3.5 stars.
Buy D (A Tale of Two Worlds) from Waterstones.
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