The Undying of Obedience Wellrest by Nicholas Bowling
In our next book review feature, we are showcasing The Undying of Obedience Wellrest by Nicholas Bowling.
Published by Chicken House, the book tells about the horror of young gravedigger, Ned, body snatchers who has been visiting his churchyard in the dead of night. Until now, he’d been daydreaming about another visitor – daughter of the manor, Obedience Wellrest.
But sixteen-year-old Obedience has troubles of her own: her loving but overbearing father, and his wish to see her married to a rich man of science, Phineas Mordaunt.
When Mordaunt starts to poke his nose into her family history – in particular, the ruinous research of late Uncle Herbert – Obedience enters into a dangerous game with Death, and Ned might be the only person who can save her …
What we thought of the book
Perfect for 12-year-olds, this gothic mystery book with a mildly-horror theme to it is a great read for pre-teens and teens who are moving on from children’s book to more adult-like books. The author Nicolas Bowling has a way with words and captivates his readers from the start to finish with the interesting story plot and twists as well as strong characters. They story is unique and touches on topics of magic, death and science.
This story at times, reminded me of Frankenstein and had me reminiscing of our trip to Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein in Bath. The book shares about Ned, a 15-year old gravedigger and his frail grandad, Pa and Obedience (Bede) who is the young daughter of Mr Wellrest, a manor house owner. Obedience is intrigued by the fact that graves are being dug up by bodysnatchers in the name of science. I enjoyed reading both Ned and Obedience’s dual-perspective narrative on their point of view and how this enriched the story.
What did my 13-year old daughter think of the book?
This book is an interesting and compelling read as it talks about the theme of science but not just science but more like reanimation of the human body and how (if it is possible) to bring one from the dead back to life.
The story follows two people, Ned, a young gravedigger in training and Obedience (Bede), who lives in the Manor with her father. Ned is learning to be a gravedigger and taking over from his old dad, Pa but finds things a challenge especially with graverobbers at large. Whilst Obedience is desperate to show her dad that she is intelligent and not ready to be married off to Phineas Mordaunt.
The book shares about the lives of both Ned and Obedience and how their paths intertwine and linked, so much so that they need each other to stay alive.
I love Obedience and how in the book she is portrayed as a very smart woman as she is able to understand and use science to tackle some problems. She is also independent and definitely, a role model in the book for young teens like myself. I also did not expect the book to end the way that it did, and I didn’t expect Pa to make the decision that he did. I was just very amazed at the ending of the book.
Finally, I have to add that the book cover illustration of the roses, coffin and lantern is just beautiful and I love how the image comes together and fits the story so perfectly.
How much is the book and where can you buy it?
The book is available in paperback copy for £6.51 from Amazon while the Kindle edition retails for £1.09. Do check the price directly via Amazon as this might change.
About the Author
Nick Bowling is the critically acclaimed author of WITCHBORN IN THE SHADOW OF HEROES (nominated for the Costa Children’s Book Award), SONG OF THE FAR ISLES, and THE UNDYING OF OBEDIENCE WELLREST (Financial Times, best YA Books of 2023; Guardian Children’s Roundup, December 2023).
About the Book
Publisher: Chicken House
ISBN: 978-1912626687
Dimensions: 19.4 x 3 x 13 cm
Reading age : 12 – 18 years
Pages: 304 pages
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