A pocket masterpiece

A masterly tale

If ever there was a book to make us thankful to live in modern times, have scientific cures and the NHS, this is it. Jill Paton Walsh catches the voices of long ago, in the unbroken narrative of one likeable girl: 'author' of the story. Punctuated by exquisite glimpses of Nature, beautiful and raw, and of joyous first love, the account lays bare the horror of a remorseless epidemic. Even knowing the historical facts, we go on hoping, crossing our fingers, holding our breath. The archaic language, jolting at first, feels familiar by the end and adds to the authenticity of the heroine's account. The message to the reader - if indeed there is one - feels important: be grateful for small mercies...and glad to be alive

A beautifully written, meaningful story

[Jill Paton Walsh] had an unpatronising literary style and was ambitious about what children would enjoy

Emotionally complex, dark and clever - a very unexpected, thoughtful and original book. I can honestly think of no other YA quite like it.

A gritty, gripping tale of a young man searching for meaning in a life that's far from ordinary.

I felt a real sense of loss when I read the last page. I didn't want this book to end. Andrew's writing is tender, beautiful, perfectly weighted. A writer we are immensely lucky to have.

A gloriously raw and watery adventure, fraught with fluidity, teen-angst and identity; an update of Ovid's transformations and Catcher in the Rye, re-gendered in the Hampstead ponds and the deeper waters, far beyond...

A brilliant, moving, tender, queer story. Highly recommended

An enchanting weaving together of mythologies and a meeting of worlds, all bound up with the power of stories and the fate of the ultimate book. Far-reaching and profound, this is a novel to lose yourself in

Every page is a declaration of love for story, for literature, for libraries

Savour and absorb the world Knox conjures

An ambitious, gripping, and multifaceted [novel], animated by a sharp imagination

A murder, a mysterious library and something called the Absolute Book feature in this fantastical new outing

A book about books, a psychological crime novel, a romance, a portal fantasy, a technothriller, a historical fantasy, and an allegory - this melding of modes and mixing of genres, this surfeit of stories, is The Absolute Book's greatest strength. Accomplished, exuberant, generous, original . . . readers will have few regrets

A tour de force. Ursula Le Guin would have loved this book

The power is in the skill and pace of Knox's storytelling, the perfect spinning of the intricate plot, the sharp dialogue and luminous evocation of place

A bibliophile's daydream

A propulsive parallel-worlds fantasy epic about the power of stories and storytelling

Contains multitudes, spanning the geographies of Canada, Britain and New Zealand; the cosmologies of fairies, demons and angels; and the genres of thriller, domestic realism and epic fantasy. Reading the book is like holding folds of shot silk to the light, finding green flash in something that looks purple, and appreciating how thoughtfully the warp and weft embrace each other. I'm in awe of it

A mind-blowing optical illusion of a novel. This grand ode to Story itself is one that begs for a reread

Full of intrigue, mystery, magic, and history, this is a fascinating read that is hard to put down

If you love a little supernatural magic and mystery, you will love this clever blend of myth, religion, folklore and reality, as the story draws the reader into the realm of faerie and demon, immersing us in a fantasy world where bliss can be found

One of those books which will never let you go. A beautiful, fantastic, ride that travels from one end of the earth to the other and beyond, Knox takes you on a journey that will amaze and astound you . . . The Absolute Book takes readers on a journey they won't soon forget. Fantastic and wondrous, it is a delight and will leave readers wistful for a world as magical as the one she's created

Epic and exquisitely written, this is a feat of fantastical world-building

The dream for any book lover - a story about the importance of stories and all the ways we pass them on

Where better to get lost than a mighty, make-believe kingdom reminiscent of Swift

Enchanting . . . Knox hits the mark