The Golden Compass- Philip Pullman

A young girl named Lyra is growing up in Oxford University. Her parents were long gone, but she doesn't seem to care. Most of her time is spent playing with her daemon, the servants' kids and the town kids, until one day her uncle arrives and she witnesses a strange event. Soon after, a woman comes and offers to take Lyra away with her to the North. Lyra accepts and can't wait to go. The Master of the university presents Lyra with an object that she was to keep to herself. It was extremely special and put her in a lot of danger. The travel to the North didn't turn out as planned, and Lyra had to fight to keep herself, and others, whole.

It's a really good book, my favorite character was an armored bear called Iorek Byrnison. I also liked this book because there was a lot of action, and because I like science fiction/ normal fantasy.

The movie is also excellent. It brought up some controversy over Pullman's reference to the Church, but personally I don't think it's such a big deal. I enjoyed it for the story and the special effects.

rating: eight out of ten stars