The Subtle Knife

Pullman, Philip. (1997). The subtle knife. New York: Dell Laurel Leaf.

Reading Level: Grade 7+

Plot Summary:
This is the second book in Pullman's His Dark Materials series. It begins in our world. Will is a twelve-year-old kid whose father disappeared just after he was born. Recently two strange men have been asking about Will's father, and about some letters that Will's father sent Will's mother just before his father's disappearance. Will knows that these men are dangerous, and that he has to do something. He drops his mom off at a friends who will take care of her, then returns to his house to search for the letters. Just as Will finds the letters, the two strange men break into his house. Will escapes, and runs away looking for a safe place to hide. What he finds is a window into another world. In this world, Will meets up with Lyra, from Pullman's first book in the series. Together, they search for Will's father, travel between Will's world and the world in which he found safety, and discover more about the mysterious material Lyra calls Dust, and Will calls Dark Matter. Will also becomes the bearer of the subtle knife, a weapon that can cut through any material, and even can cut windows into other worlds. Readers also learn that Lyra's father, Lord Asriel, is planning on challenging the Authority, or God, by building up an army against Him. The book concludes with Will and Lyra's journey to find Will's father interrupted by the nefarious Mrs. Coulter.

Comments:
This book was quite good, but not as interesting as the first book. If often felt like the book was just a transition between the first book and the third. There were no major plot developments. Lyra's character was not in her element in this book, and seemed to be overshadowed by Will's character. She was not as strong a character, so I was disappointed. Though Will was an interesting character, he was not as complex as Lyra. There were also more religious overtones in this book. They seemed sort of out place since none of the main characters ever talk or think about anything religious. Religion seems to be in the realm of adults, so references to religion take the focus off the main storyline. Despite these shortcomings, the book still was quite exciting, and would be of interest to anyone who read the first book.

Rating: 4/5