Book Review: The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, Book 1) by Philip Pullman

Lyra has always been adventurous and it has led her into several awkward predicaments, but she is about to stumble into her greatest adventure yet. An unknown force, known only as the Gobblers, has been stealing children. Rumors abound about what happens to the stolen children. When one of Lyra's friends is taken, she decides that she must go find him.


Her quest takes her across the world from the city of Oxford to the swamps where the gyptians live and finally in to frozen north of Svalbard. Here she discovers the awful truth of what the Gobblers are really doing, and it's worse than anyone had imagined.

Lyra's adventures are beyond belief and fantastic. While she can be quite an obnoxious brat at times, you can't help but fall in love with her and her friends. Her friends are varied but loyal. There's just something about the girl that they can't resist wanting to help. The story is written in a way that draws you into her life and had you rooting for her the whole time.

4/5