http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crik-Karl-Beer-ebook/dp/B00VSDPT3Q
Crik is the name of a small village at the heart of a vast wood, and all the people who live there have a special ability called a ‘Talent’. Everyone has a unique Talent; the Mayor has the ability to converse with insects, whereas another boy can alter his shape. Crik follows a young boy called Jack, whose shadow is alive. People call the shadow Yang, and have given Jack the nickname Ying. This dual relationship, the Ying Yang if you like, is a constant presence throughout the book.
One night Jack is awake and looking out at the storm when he sees one of the Woodland creatures enter the village. This Giant halts down the road from Jack to bury an object outside a house. Scared of what the Giant left outside his friend’s home, Jack the following morning not only discovers the object but a secret that makes him look at Yang, not as a friend, but as a deadly enemy. This revelation sends both he and his friend Bill on an exciting adventure through the heart of the wood, where they discover many creatures and a dark piece of Crik history that was best left buried.
Jack’s one burning obsession is to rid himself of his shadow, even if that means killing Yang.
Crik is born from a desire to share new fantastical worlds and to build a tapestry of history that draws the reader in as much as the ancient tales drew me in as a child.