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Junior
Collins
Paperback £5.99
ISBN: 0007128576
Reviewed by Linda Kempton
[Armadillo 6.3 Autumn 2004]
How terrifying to find you have a double who is trying to take over your life! This is what happens to Mardy Watt; as if the fact that her elder brother is in a coma isn't enough to contend with. We soon learn that Mardy's fetch is part of another world whose geographical centre covers exactly the same area as Mardy's school. It's a world presided over by the evil Mayor. He has total domination of the world of Uraniborg but is seeking to extend his powers further; the acquisition of Mardy's soul is part of that plan, and as the fetch's control over Mardy's life strengthens, so Mardy's body will weaken and eventually die. She will be trapped in Uraniborg forever as a slave of the Mayor.
Best friend Hal, realizes that there's something not quite right about Mardy. His suspicions are confirmed when the real Mardy, whose spirit is weakening in Uraniborg, manages to get a message through to him about what is happening. Through a series of encounters with the Fetch and the mysterious Rachel Fludd, he understands that to save Mardy he must find out the identity of the Mayor in his own world. He must also discover, and then play, the Mayor's Reverberant Chord, which holds the key to the Mayor's disintegration.
The Fetch of Mardy Watt is an exciting read for upper primary, lower secondary children. It is full of spooky images and marvellous descriptions of the intriguing topography of Uraniborg and the sense of place is particularly well achieved.
I was intrigued by the author's use of the name 'Mardy'. As all East Midlanders and readers of D.H. Lawrence will know, 'mardy' is a dialect word which means 'cry-baby' but is perhaps more scathing. "Mardy mardy mustard, can't eat your custard" is a playground taunt that generations of Derbyshire/Nottinghamshire school children have suffered.