Gr 9 Up-An innovative and dreamlike retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, set in modern-day Tyneside and Northumberland and told in Almond's lyrical, distinctive prose. Narrator Claire has a passionate relationship with Ella, whom she has known since they were five years old. They are part of a "beautiful friendship group" of like-minded teenagers who gather to share their dreams and artistic efforts. When the mysterious musician Orpheus appears on the beach, the teens, as well as all the local wildlife, are enchanted by his weird and lovely music, but the one most enamored of Orpheus and his music is Ella, who hears him over Claire's cell phone. Ella and Orpheus fall in love and marry, but Ella dies of a snakebite on their wedding day. The novel follows the original myth fairly closely as Orpheus goes through river gates into an underworld where he encounters monsters and the rulers of the underworld. This is an impressive update of this often retold story, with artsy teenage characters and a lovingly detailed Northumbrian setting. Some parts, such as Orpheus's death at the hands of crazed women emerging from the sea and references to his male lovers, will resonate more strongly with readers familiar with the original myth. VERDICT Teen readers of a literary bent and mythology enthusiasts will love this latest work from Almond. Kathleen E. Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ

Ella and Claire share a bond that seems unbreakable until a mysterious musician materializes in their midst. Narrator Claire and her friends grasp their glorious youth with both hands, relishing nights on the beach, spontaneous song, and the wonder of being alive in the universe. In the middle of one such reverie, while Ella is at home, they meet ragtag musician Orpheus. Claire holds up her phone and urges her friend to listen, and after a few notes, Ella is hooked. Orpheus, too, is hooked on Ella, and their intoxicating, all-consuming passion draws Ella away from Claire. Powerless, Claire stands by, witnessing her friend's meteoric romance, her untimely death, and Orpheus' devastating failure to retrieve Ella from Hades. Almond suffuses this retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice with Northern England slang and lush, musical language, which captures the heady rush of reckless youth. Though the beautiful prose occasionally overpowers the characters, that murkiness contributes to the mythic otherworldliness of the story. Patient readers will likely be transfixed by this rhapsodic modern retelling of a classic tragedy.

Set on Britain's northeast coast, Almond's contemporary-set story echoes that of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice: teen Ella falls in love with Orpheus; they're wed; Ella dies; and Orpheus retrieves her from death only to lose her at the last minute. Almond's prose has always been intense, sensual, and vivid: here his very subject matter is intensity of feeling with a capital F.