The Lost Soul Atlas

Loyalty is tested, and a cruel twist of fate leads to an act of ultimate betrayal in this epic story that spans a city, a decade, and the divide between life and death itself.

Twig is all alone after his dad goes missing. But when he meets Flea, a cheerful pickpocket, the pair become fast friends. Together, Twig and Flea raise themselves on the crime-ridden streets, taking what they need and giving the rest to the even-poorer. Life is good, as long as they have each other.

But then Twig wakes up in the Afterlife. With just a handful of vague memories, a key, a raven, and a mysterious atlas to guide him, he tries to piece together what happened, and to find his way home . . .

A powerful story of hope and friendship from the award-winning author of The Bone Sparrow.

Acclaim for Zana Fraillon's THE BONE SPARROW:

2017 ABIA Book of the Year for Older Children

Winner, Readings Young Adult Book Prize 2017

CBCA Honour Book 2017 - Older Readers

Shortlisted for the 2017 Prime Minister's Literary Awards

Shortlisted for the 2017 Queensland Literary Awards

Shortlisted for the 2017 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards

Shortlisted for The Guardian Children's Fiction Prize 2016

Shortlisted for the Gold Inky Award 2017

Shortlisted for the 2017 CILIP Carnegie Medal

Carnegie Medal Amnesty CILIP Honour Book 2017

IBBY Australia Honour Book 2018

“The Lost Soul Atlas takes the classic story of the journey through the underworld and flips it. What if, instead of a hero's journey through the underworld to save a lost soul, the lost soul is the one on the journey to save the hero? And what if the one who needs saving, in this metaphor, is everyone who has ever lived?Twig's afterlife is a fraught one (though not without comic relief in the form of his hilarious, wise-cracking raven-skeleton guardian), and it's no surprise when we visit the memories of his time alive to find his life as a street kid in a dangerous city was just as treacherous. The Lost Soul Atlas is everything we have come to expect from Zana Fraillon - a story about amazing, tough kids who have been dealt a terrible hand by life but who refuse to have their spirits broken - but it's also something new: a rich and telling fantasy. The afterlife in The Lost Soul Atlas is honestly as full and robust as anything Philip Pullman has ever written, and I can only hope this is the start of Fraillon's career as a fantasy author.Fraillon has always had a beautiful command of language, and a topic as delicate as the afterlife - especially in a children's book - could, with anyone else's words, have become too scary or, even worse, too mundane. Instead, in Fraillon's hands, it's a work of art, perfectly balancing imagination and reality. Scary, sad and funny all at once, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. For ages 10+ - Readings”

The Lost Soul Atlas takes the classic story of the journey through the underworld and flips it. What if, instead of a hero's journey through the underworld to save a lost soul, the lost soul is the one on the journey to save the hero? And what if the one who needs saving, in this metaphor, is everyone who has ever lived?

Twig's afterlife is a fraught one (though not without comic relief in the form of his hilarious, wise-cracking raven-skeleton guardian), and it's no surprise when we visit the memories of his time alive to find his life as a street kid in a dangerous city was just as treacherous.

The Lost Soul Atlas is everything we have come to expect from Zana Fraillon - a story about amazing, tough kids who have been dealt a terrible hand by life but who refuse to have their spirits broken - but it's also something new: a rich and telling fantasy. The afterlife in The Lost Soul Atlas is honestly as full and robust as anything Philip Pullman has ever written, and I can only hope this is the start of Fraillon's career as a fantasy author.

Fraillon has always had a beautiful command of language, and a topic as delicate as the afterlife - especially in a children's book - could, with anyone else's words, have become too scary or, even worse, too mundane. Instead, in Fraillon's hands, it's a work of art, perfectly balancing imagination and reality. Scary, sad and funny all at once, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. For ages 10+ - Readings

Zana Fraillon (she/they) is an internationally acclaimed, multi-award-winning author of books for children and young adults.

Zana's books have won the Amnesty CILIP Honour Award, the ABIA Book of the Year for Older Children, the Readings YA Prize, NSW Premier's Literary Awards and the CBCA Honour Book Award. The Bone Sparrow was chosen as the biennial book to represent Australia for the International Board on Books for Young People.

Zana was born and lives in Naarm (Melbourne), but spent her early childhood in San Francisco. She has degrees in history and teaching and is undertaking a PhD in Creative Writing at La Trobe University.

A boy awakens in the Afterlife, with a pocketful of vague memories, a key, a raven, and a mysterious Atlas to guide him as he sets out to piece together the mystery of his final moments...Back on Earth, Twiggy is a street kid with a missing dad. But when he meets Flea, a cheerful pickpocket, the pair become fast friends, better even than blood family itself. Together, Twig and Flea raise themselves on the crime-ridden streets, taking what they need and giving the rest to the even-poorer. Life is good, as long as they have each other. But the all-powerful Boss who rules the streets has other plans.Loyalty will be tested, and a cruel twist of fate will lead to an act of ultimate betrayal that will tear the friends apart ... forever?Acclaim for Zana Fraillon's THE BONE SPARROW:2017 ABIA Book of the Year for Older ChildrenWinner, Readings Young Adult Book Prize 2017CBCA Honour Book 2017 - Older ReadersShortlisted for the 2017 Prime Minister's Literary AwardsShortlisted for the 2017 Queensland Literary AwardsShortlisted for the 2017 Victorian Premier's Literary AwardsShortlisted for The Guardian Children's Fiction Prize 2016Shortlisted for the Gold Inky Award 2017Shortlisted for the 2017 CILIP Carnegie MedalCarnegie Medal Amnesty CILIP Honour Book 2017IBBY Australia Honour Book 2018

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.