Tuck Everlasting
Natalie Babbit

Bloomsbury, London 2002

139p., pbk $12.95

0747560919

Winnie Foster is the main character of this book and she decides to run away one day.  On her way Winnie stumbles across a spring which gives you everlasting life if you drink from it.  She also comes across the Tuck family, who has drunk from the spring and have lived for a very long time.  The Tucks realise what chaos it would bring if anyone else knew about the spring, so they kidnap Winnie to stop her talking to anyone.  Winnie has to decide whether she will reveal the springs secret or not

Although I wasnt hooked from the very beginning, I became quite interested in the book towards the last 50 pages.  Thats when it caught my full attention and I wanted to keep reading it to see what happened.  I really enjoyed the Epilogue at the end of the book because it finished off the story well.  Even though at some points in the story I lost interest I think Natalie Babbitt wrote the book very well and was very descriptive.  She wrote it so well that I could even imagine the written scenes in my head, especially the description of the forest.  The characters were also well described and seemed like real people with their personalities. 

A couple of times I didnt quite understand what was happening (thats when I lost interest) but I think the story line was very original and at some stages, very exciting.

I would recommend this book for 10-15 year olds.  I also think maybe quite a few adults would like this book.  I think I would recommend this book to others.

 Danika, aged 12, Adelaide Hills, South Australia.