In a world similar to ours, a young girl named Lyra is about to embark on the journey of her life. When a group of child kidnappers called “Gobblers” make their way around the country, the general population does not realize how truly evil the intentions of the group are. Lyra’s friend Roger is taken but she is not able to go after him for she is being removed from long-time home at a college. The Master of the college gives her a gift before she leaves: it’s a compass-like object that most people don’t know how to use and she is to keep it secret from the lady she is leaving with. She is entranced with the thrills that a rich life can bring but soon learns enough truth of the person she is staying with that she escapes and decides to search for Roger on her own. Along the way, she makes friends and allies and travels with a group called the “gyptians” who are also searching for the children in hopes of rescuing them. As she travels, she learns more of the history and reason for the current circumstances of the world. The question is, can she find out what the “good” is in this situation and can she stop the evil?
Pullman is a very gifted writer and the way he tells this story keeps you reading and wanting to know what is coming next. Overall, this book is another good vs. evil fantasy/science fiction book but there are at least three underlying problem. The golden compass or alethiometer works best when Lyra relaxes her mind and allows it to guide her thoughts and reveal answers to her questions. “Dust” is discussed often throughout the book but no strong conclusions are drawn until Lyra talks with a person who has studied it a long time. In explaining it, the person uses passages from the Bible but the verses used have been altered to fit the story. Also, each human has a daemon, or a part of their soul that takes a visible form outside their bodies that they often look to for comfort and support. While God is mentioned, the people look to their daemons or other sources for truth.
I know there are schools who have this as part of their required reading. My advice to parents would be to read the book with them. Also, bringing out the good and noble parts of this book does offset the dark undertones. Lyra and her companions exhibit loyalty, friendship, courage, self-less and sacrificing acts, and they are constantly trying to find the truth and restore good to their world. This may be a good book for older students in later middle school and high school to learn about discerning good and evil in confusing situations. It may be a difficult book for those who see all too clearly the constant fight between good and evil in our own world.
