Riverskin
A pacy and atmospheric tale of family secrets and courage for middle grade readers, from a debut author and performance poet
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Walker Books Ltd
Published:5th Jun '25
Should be back in stock very soon
A dark, pacy and atmospheric journey of self-discovery from a debut author and performance poet.
Tess lives in the “turns”, a network of tunnels under the River Tees, with her Aunt Peg and her monstrous Unkle Darkwater. When Aunt Peg starts to develop signs of dementia, Tess must find someone else to keep her safe. And she is beginning to doubt her aunt's stories about her origins, too. Tess longs to find out the truth about her family once and for all, but that will mean leaving the turns, and she has never been on dry land before – or mingled with dry-folk. Can she survive away from the river? And does she have the strength to take control of who she will become?
Think The Little Mermaid but with discarded shopping trolleys and techno. It’s a brilliant contemporary twist and hats off to Mike Edwards for dressing his heroine in a Tesco carrier bag . . . Riverskin is a bold debut and its atmosphere lingers long after the last page — much like the smell of scum on anyone who dares a dip in a British river. * The Times *
Shaped by Teesside dialect and filled with punchy, poetic coinages, this atmospheric 9+ debut brings local legend into the everyday. * The Guardian *
Mike Edwards’ novel is an original adventure with a plot that sweeps readers along like the fast currents of the Tees. Tess is a distinctive and memorable character but it’s the language that sets this apart, the near poetic descriptions of the moods of the river, her and Peg’s newly moulded words, mood-swirly, gibbly, updown inout. Ambitious and atmospheric with a strong sense of the North-East, it's an impressive debut. * LoveReading4Kids *
Stunning. * The Courier *
Using unique and compelling language to give Tess a voice unlike any other, Riverskin will drag readers into the world of the turns just as surely as any witch could. . . A remarkable book that is packed with edge-of-seat drama, nail-biting moments and mysteries aplenty. * BookTrust *
ISBN: 9781529523980
Dimensions: 198mm x 128mm x 21mm
Weight: 270g
272 pages