My Thoughts: Tall Tales From Pitch End, by Nigel McDowell

• Page Count: 384 pages
• Publisher: Hot Key Books (6 Jun 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1471400409
• ISBN-13: 978-1471400407
• Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 13 x 2.8 cm

"Ruled by the Elders, policed by an unforgiving battalion of Enforcers and watched by hundreds of clockwork Sentries, Pitch End is a town where everybody knows their place.

Soon-to-be fifteen-year-old Bruno Atlas still mourns the death of his Rebel father ten years ago, and treasures the book of stories he secretly uncovered: the Tall Tales from Pitch End. After discovering a chilling plot planned by the Elders, Bruno flees, escaping to the mountains where a bunch of disparate young Rebels are planning a final attack on Pitch End.

With secrets and betrayal lying around every corner, Bruno will find himself fighting not only for his life, but the life of the town." -Goodreads

My Thoughts:
I'm impressed.... Tall Tales From Pitch End was written in somewhat of a unique way. Simply by the mannerisms and language used, it separated itself from the crowd. During the beginning quarter, there was something almost lyrical about the way Nigel Mcdowel describes Bruno's situation. Pitch End's dialogue and writing style, was both a surprise and delight to me.

"Bruno dared his eyes open and say smoke. He felt the dizzy orchestra of noise, the tearing like material being shorn in two, everywhere crackling, splintering, buckling, groaning like a dragon's insides."

From there on, Bruno's plot line takes off, spanning the small town of Pitch End - and beyond. Some sentences (due to the accent of the rebels) were slightly jarring, however the general scope and feel of the area was easily conveyed. The location of the story itself - despite being stereotypical, had a few twists of its own. I don't know how Nigel did it, but he made a small, closed off town - rustically endearing.

Do not mistake the point of Pitch End though. This "tale" (no pun intended)  is a story about a town, with accents of magic and timepieces, not the other way around. Expect lots of effort to be spent on the town, and lots of labour to be used on stories. This is (by the way) not so much of a bad thing!

The last thing I want to talk about is Pitch End's supernatural side. Although it may not have been at the forefront; it is still worth mentioning. I simply love the simplistic idea of "talents" and how they work. The Book of Black and White, as well as the overall moral of literature was refreshing. Bravo Nigel!

 My Rating: 4/5