Hyland House: Hylander

1994 $14.95

190p pb

ISBN: 1-875657-32-0

Have you ever wondered if there is another life? A life where you can change into a creature, half human half animal- this is the life that Tod lives. Tod is a 13 year old boy who has just moved into his Nan's house, life is hard for him, his dad is in England, he's not very smart at school, he hates living with his grandma, he doesn't see much of his mother and peer pressure is taking its toll on him. Tod is only interested in one thing: foxes. 

‘The Breakers’ are the local ‘Denis the Menaces’. The quarries is where they like to hang out, it’s also like a refuge for Tod, a place for him to escape it all. One day when Tod is walking to school, he sees a dead fox and feels really sorry for it and decides to burry it. This is where it all begins. Most people hate the foxes, they consider them as nuisances, grandma especially. Grandma believes that when they are all asleep the foxes put a spell on them so they are in a heavy, deep sleep. Tod wants to find out more about the foxes so he gets his friend Martin to lend him a book. It is all about how to track foxes down; his plan works and he finds the fox...

Dan Russell is half fox half man and comes from the spirit world. He turns Tod into a fox and Tod has to decide whether to change into the fox forever or stay human and live his life with his family.

Foxspell kept us thrilled and we couldn't put the book down. We recommend this for ages 13 up and give this book a rating of 3 ½ out of 5.

Grace and Jessica, Year 7, Melbourne, Victoria

Having moved to his grandma's house with his sisters and mother, after his parent's separation, Tod discovers a new life. Foxes. He becomes interested in foxes when he finds a dead fox draped over a fence, killed by a local gang. After going to the quarries and calling foxes he feels a certain attachment to them.

After wandering up in the quarries he is forced to leave by a gang called ‘The Breakers’ who claimed the area, but Tod refused to leave and turns down the offer to be part of the gang. Tod's friend, Adrian, is the younger brother of the gang leader, Shaun Stone, who is interested in Tod's sister, Charm, who wags school and finds herself interested in, Shaun. Putting aside the reason Shaun vandalised Grandma's house which involved the police, Charm decides to help Shaun with his tag on a bridge...

One day up in the quarries, Tod discovers a man called Dan Russell, well a sort of a man, half human half fox. He turns Tod into a fox and they hunt together. Dan Russell wants to eat Grandma's chickens, but Tod won't allow him. After coming home one day, Tod finds Dan Russell in his fox form, leaning over a dead cat, Inkspot, Grandma's cat.

 ...Lying in bed, Tod was awoken by a noise that lead him outside, to find Shaun and Charm cleaning themselves with turps as they were covered in paint. Charm became out of breath but assured Tod and Shaun she was ok. Going back to bed, he was disturbed by Shaun's yelling, "Charm can’t breathe!" She was having an asthma attack. After two days in hospital she was released home. Once home Charm went with Tod to help redo Shaun's tag.Tod was deep in thought as he painted and was unaware of what was happening at the depot. Once he'd finished admiring his work he heard Charm out of breath running towards him. ‘The depot – it’s on fire!' followed by a loud explosion and Shaun running towards them. Shaun suggested he should get away from it all and decided to catch the train. Adrian was on the track running towards the tunnel to climb back up onto the road. Shaun jumped onto the side of the train leaving them on land. Adrian wouldn't let his older brother leave without him so he tried to jump too. For a moment he almost made it then slipped under the train...

Opinions...

Jenna: I didn't really enjoy this book. It was good up until about chapter 10, then I started losing the plot. I thought that, the author described too much what Tod was feeling instead of doing the things he wanted and although the book revolved around Tod, there were too many things happening at once.

Leah: I thought it was pretty good at the start and then I lost interest.The book wasn't too bad if you like fantasy, but it wasn't my type of book. 

Jenna and Leah, Year 7, Melbourne, Victoria