Starseeker

American edition entitled: Firmament

'Good hands, Luke. Special hands. Strong and sensitive. You can do anything you want with hands like these. So don't ever put them to bad use.'

Dad was right. Luke does have good hands. Good for playing the piano, like Dad himself used to do, and good for climbing trees – to find some peace and get away from all the troubles at home.

Now Skin and the gang want him to do some climbing, too. They want him to break into Mrs Little's house and steal the jewellery box. They want him to prove that he's got what it takes. That he's part of the gang.

But Luke is seeking more than just a jewellery box. He's seeking answers to a mystery that has been growing deeper and more disturbing by the day. A mystery that is threatening to overwhelm him.

What he finds is something so unexpected it will change his life forever.

'Tim Bowler's Starseeker is a thriller with a big heart and a real glimpse of the human soul, full of plot and passion, music and mystery. It's very rare to find a book that moves the heart, touches the spirit and yet remains so well grounded in everyday life. It'll stick to your fingers, this one - don't miss it.' Melvin Burgess

'A wonderfully rich novel by a consummate storyteller.' School Librarian Journal

'A lovely, sure-footed novel. Bowler…is lyrical and emotionally charged – on full throttle, revving up our sense of what it is like to be a young person in the world today.' The Observer

'One of the truly individual voices in British teenage fiction.' Independent

'An intensely moving and powerful story.' Mail on Sunday

'A memorable book. Tim Bowler's best yet.' David Almond

'Compelling and suspenseful, this book understands that peer pressure for boys is tough, but is also full of male role models who are creative and sensitive.' Sunday Times

'A tremendously moving novel from this Carnegie Medal winner.' Financial Times

'This sixth novel from the Carnegie winner gets off to a strong start and maintains a gripping narrative with both lyricism and drama.' The Bookseller

'Powerful and mysterious…a sensitive, self-affirming novel. This is Tim Bowler’s best book yet.' Wendy Cooling

'Absolutely magnificent, one of the best books I’ve read this year.' Angie Simpson, Children’s Core-Stock Coordinator, Waterstones

'A thundering read, full of challenging ideas, strong emotions and layers of plotting. Bowler is a fearless writer with complex, demanding ideas….utterly compelling.' Lindsey Fraser, Guardian

'Intriguing and original. A fine book, as you'd expect from Tim Bowler. It attempts to grapple with a breadth of life…and with more themes…than most books, whether written for children or adults, ever do.' Susan Price, Guardian

'A fantastic book with a great story line. Some of the time I even felt I was there with Luke and I always had a vivid picture of the scene in my mind.' Sunday Express

'A bruiser of a book, hugely ambitious in scope and depth. This is not writing for the faint-hearted. However, Bowler's dexterous, flowing language and dramatic plotting have earned him a growing following of readers who will rise to his considerable challenge.' Glasgow Herald

'A thoroughly engrossing story which involves the reader fully. It is long enough to feel spacious and developed, and the reader is compelled to turn the pages.' Times Educational Supplement

'A complex emotional drama.' Literary Review

'This is an extremely ambitious novel, incorporating many themes of philosophical and metaphysical concern, abstractions which enrich what is already a wonderfully engrossing narrative. Highly recommended.' Books for Keeps (five stars)

'A hugely rewarding read. The intensity and quality of Tim Bowler's characters are superb throughout. Should leave a huge impression on the reader.' Amazon

'A tight, heart-stopping dilemma of a story. Straight into my top ten favourites of all time.' Reading Matters

'A gripping narrative with both lyricism and drama.' Book News

'Leaves you almost breathless. I couldn't put it down.' Bookstore

'This is special – lyrical, dramatic, unputdownable. Tim Bowler has surpassed himself.' JMS Books Fiction Review

'From the opening page, I found this novel enthralling. Starseeker has everything.' Bookshelf

'One of the best books I've ever read. It should be compulsory that everyone reads this book.' Dan Thompson, aged 12, Beverley Grammar School

Extract from Starseeker - Order Starseeker Paperback (hardback)