Dust Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
SEVEN-YEAR-OLD MATTHEW DISAPPEARS one day on a walk into Horshoe, a dust bowl farm town in Depression-era Saskatchewan. Other children go missing just as a strange man named Abram Harsich appears in town. He dazzles the townspeople with the promises of a rainmaking machine. Only Matthew’s older brother Robert seems to be able to resist Abram’s spell, and to discover what happened to Matthew and the others.“A remarkably effective sense of atmosphere.”—Kirkus Reviews, Starred“Choose it for science-fiction fans who are ready for something a little different.”—School Library Journal, Starred“Beautifully written novel . . . strong character development, an authentic setting, and some genuinely spooky moments.”—VOYA, StarredA Governor General’s Award for Children’s LiteratureAn ALA Best Books for Young Adults
Hardcover: 192 pages
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books (April 8, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385730047
ISBN-13: 978-0385730044
Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 0.8 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 11.5 ounces
Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (131 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #2,796,796 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #64 in Books > Teens > Historical Fiction > Canada #789 in Books > Teens > Mysteries & Thrillers > Historical #1636 in Books > Teens > Mysteries & Thrillers > Fantasy & Supernatural
I am a lover of fantasy and this book ranks as one of the best with me. It has all the necessary elements--the reluctant but driven hero, the quest which only he can accomplish, the satisfying conclusion. Along the way Arthur Slade keeps the reader spellbound and wondering. I read the book in one day, unable to put it down. After I finished, I found that I couldn't stop thinking about it. The images are still fresh in my mind. I've reread it now and have discovered even more layers to it.This is a book that you can't wait to finish, but at the same time don't want to finish. The only solution is to start reading it all over again.
I almost didn't finish this book after a little boy was taken away by a stranger. Those types of things upset me, but for some reason I wanted to find out what happened. I'm glad that I kept on reading. Because of the faith of an eleven year old boy things were made right. The author has a great imagination and was able to share it beautifully with the reader. It wasn't what I expected, it evoked a lot of emotion and left me wanting more. It's one of those stories where good triumphs over evil. I'd recommend the book to others, hopefully you will be as pleasantly surprised as I was.
Until I read the nominations and awards particularly "An American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults" I did not realise that this was a book aimed at young adults and being far from young I thoroughly enjoyed it.The book gets off to a slow start and slowly develops drawing the reader into the story. I liked the way it was written from a child's point of view with his fascination for words and the way their meanings were interpreted by him. The description of the characters and the locations was very good. Fairly early in the story Robert's (the central characters) brother goes missing and until I read further I thought it strange that no one seemed particularly interested however all becomes clear as the story developed. It is a fairly short story but I would have liked it to be slightly longer so the ending although satisfactory could have had a bit more detail.In summary a great book suitable for all ages, don't be put off because it is a young adult book.
As a a 6th grade teacher, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had a "hook" from the beginning and kept me wondering until the end. It offers a number of "springboards" for teaching vocabulary and subjects from the Bible and ancient history. I hope to get enough copies to read in literature circles. (...)
Here's my deal... I met Arthur over on the KB boards and after a conversation about advterising, I decided to buy Dust.I was sucked in from the first chapter and couldn't put my Kindle down. Each chapter builder in a perfect pace - no crazy cliffhangers or anything misleading. The characters were real and story was just awesome.The length is perfect for this type of story and for $2.99, it's a steal!Buy it... NOW! :)
Magical Realisim at its best. Robert's younger brother vanishes on the way to town. A rainmaker soon appears. Things aren't what they seem and people are forgetting what they ought to remember. All but Robert. Arthur Slade imbue's DUST with magic to spare. A wonderful read and not easily forgotten.
In the description this book is described as similar to the works of Stephen King and Ray Bradbury. I find that amalgam to be surprisingly spot on. This is an eerie fantasy/horror tale that either of the aforementioned authors might have written, complete with a magical way of weaving words to tell the story, which involves missing children, a dark stranger that casts a spell over the hapless adults, paranormal butterflies, and a rain machine.How all that adds up to this mesmerizing story is something I can't relate without spoilers. Suffice to say that you must read it. Arthur Slade is on my list of authors to read for the beauty of reading.
The professional editorial reviews and blurbs for this book make it sound like it's just a spooky and atmospheric sci-fi outing. That doesn't really do the book justice. Just as Canadian author Charles deLint pioneered urban fantasy and Canadian Guy Gavriel Kay perfected vaguely medieval alt-world fantasy, this Canadian has elevated something you might call prairie/rural fantasy. Heat, dust, parched empty prairie - that is the background for this tale. It is in many ways reminiscent of Ray Bradbury's innocent mid-West settings, and it is no accident that this novel has been compared favorably to Bradbury's "Something Wicked This Way Comes".This book would be a great intro for a middle grade reader to magical realism. It has a grounded young hero. It addresses, indirectly, the transition from childhood to adulthood, and what is gained and what is lost along the way. It has some passages of writing that are just beautifully crafted. The plot is helped along with bits of exposition that aid the reader in following what's happening and it has a resolution that makes sense and doesn't leave the young reader at loose ends about what just happened. The book is brief enough that it is not a demanding slog, and there isn't a lot of complicated world building. It seems like it might be a bit of a chancey choice, because some readers will probably get the book and some won't, but this is certainly the kind of book that marks a real step up in quality and sophistication for the right young reader.Plus, I'm a real sucker for wandering Jack tales, (the soulless wanderer), and this book fits nicely into that tradition. A real find.
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