Books with author Cliff McNish

Jack is not a normal boy. He can talk to ghosts. In his new home, an aging farmhouse, he meets the Ghost Mother, a grief-stricken spirit who becomes very attached to him…too attached. He learns that the Ghost Mother is preying in the cruelest imaginable way on four child ghosts who are trapped in the house, stealing their energy to sustain her own. Before Jack can figure out how to help them, the Ghost Mother takes possession of his real mother’s body. Jack wants to fight back, but he has severe asthma and risks fatal attacks with any physical exertion. It will take all his resources, and his mother’s as well, to fight off the Ghost Mother and save the ghost children from a horrible fate.

Jack is not a normal boy. He can talk to ghosts. In his new home, an aging farmhouse, he meets the Ghost Mother, a grief-stricken spirit who becomes very attached to him…too attached. He learns that the Ghost Mother is preying in the cruelest imaginable way on four child ghosts who are trapped in the house, stealing their energy to sustain her own. Before Jack can figure out how to help them, the Ghost Mother takes possession of his real mother’s body. Jack wants to fight back, but he has severe asthma and risks fatal attacks with any physical exertion. It will take all his resources, and his mother’s as well, to fight off the Ghost Mother and save the ghost children from a horrible fate.

Six children leave the comfort of their homes. They are drawn to Coldharbour - an eerie wasteland of wind, rats, seagulls and rubbish tips. Emily and Freda, the twins, scuttle bright eyed and insect-like in search of the others. They find Thomas on a food tip. The gentle giant boy Walter joins them and so does Helen, who can read minds. And at the centre of it all is luminous Milo, his skin hot and bright with silver. Each of them has a unique gift, but they must learn to use their skills fast. Drawing ever closer in a maelstrom of fury is the Roar, something vast and dreadful that wants to destroy them all. As in The Doomspell trilogy, Cliff's characters really are 'the children next door' until they discover the powers they possess and he sweeps them and the reader into his worlds of magical fantasy, writing exciting, breathtaking adventures with richly imagined, vividly drawn characters, and an infectious energy, warmth and humour. The Silver Child is book 1 in a heart-stopping new sequence.

When Elliott and his brother, Ben, move into old and crumbling Glebe House they don't expect to find themselves sharing it with ghosts.But soon sinister events are unfolding. An old diary reveals glimpses of the mansion's past — and of a terrible tragedy. A mysterious woman talks to the dead. And evil lurks in the East Wing — a hideous labyrinth of passageways devised by a truly twisted mind.Can Elliott and his family escape the clutches of Glebe House? Or will they be trapped in the maze of corridors, forever hunted by the dead?Winner of the Calderdale AwardReviews'Beautifully written and truly chilling ghost story set in a creepy mansion and featuring lost children, fearsome hunters and echoing nursery rhymes ... I liked the creepiness and the tension, which ratchets up and up until its almost unbearable.' The Bookbag 'McNish is one of our most talented thriller writers, with an ability to make your spine crawl and your heart pound with his stylish pared down prose.' Amanda Craig, The Times 'The Hunting Ground follows all the directions laid down by writers like Edgar Allan Poe and Ambrose Bierce, but McNish makes them all his own. This is a beautifully written and truly disturbing ghost story. Enjoy and shiver.' South China Morning Post'A masterly sense of revelation make this a seriously chilling read.' Jake Hope, The Bookseller'A gripping and inventive ghost story for older readers in which the tension builds through apprehension, to dread and finally outright terror. This book will have readers looking over their shoulders for a long time after the last page is finished.' Booktrust

Two girls are inextricably linked by destiny. Stephanie is friendless, strange, a misfit. Freya can't stop seeing angels. But when one of those angels begins to stalk her, its shadow following her everywhere, Freya is forced to make decisions from which there is no turning back. Reviews 'What a book. I simply couldn't put it down ... at moments, it reaches the sublime. I loved it.' Jill Murphy, The Bookbag 'Outstanding prose is married to a suspenseful plot and a quiet humour.' Amanda Craig, The Times 'Stands out for its original subject and plot ...each book takes McNish into new territory, and this one is both assured and thought-provoking.' Nikki Gamble, The Bookseller 'Tense, quirky and highly individual, this story has plenty going for it.' Nicholas Tucker, TES 'A deft construction — McNish vividly portrays two worlds in the light of each other, creating a thin space between them that makes for a moving and thought provoking tale.' Huw Thomas, BOOKS FOR KEEPS 'A fascinating read.' Carousel 'This neat combination of teen angst and behavioural ethics is — complex and charged.' The Daily Telegraph 'What a book. I simply couldn't put it down ... a highly charged look at personal spirituality... the writing is effortless and elegant and as it slips between character perspectives, Angel never loses an air of authenticity. And at moments, it reaches the sublime. I loved it.' Jill Murphy, The Bookbag 'This unusual fantasy is made plausible by a very strong depiction of the underpinning pattern of teenage anxieties and everyday angst.' Lesley Agnew, The Bookseller 'Haunting and thought provoking.' Cy Mag 'A fantastic read.' Jo Griffiths, Waterstones 'If you love stories about friendship, this one's a must!' Bliss

In Book Three of the Silver Sequence, the Roar descends upon Coldharbour, where millions of children huddle in search of protection. Milo, the silver child, is the first line of Earth's defense. Under his wings, Helen probes the Roar's mind with her gift of telepathy, searching for a weakness. The twins at last free the mysterious Protector from the ocean floor, while Walter strives to keep everyone alive while they search for a weapon that will destroy the Roar. Only Thomas can release that weapon―if he can finally discover the true purpose of his remarkable gift. Meanwhile, from Earth's inner core, Carnac, the Roar's firstborn, begins to emerge. Only Tanni and the Unearthers stand in his way...