The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare

The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare

Zillah Bethell,

The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare

Piccadilly Press, 2017

ISBN 9781848126084

11-14 Shortlist 2018

 

On this shortlist:

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out of 5
 

 

 

Who Wrote It?

Zillah Bethell is an author of both adults and children’s books. She was born in Papua New Guinea and spent her childhood playing barefoot in the jungle. She owned her first pair of shoes when she was eight after moving to the UK. She lived with her grandmother who had a small antique shop.

She studied French and English Literature at Oxford University. She now lives in Wales with her husband, two children and lots of rescue animals.

 

What's It About?

Auden Dare has an unusual perspective on life: he cannot see in colour. He's always had this rare condition - and life is beginning to get harder for Auden. The war for water that is raging across the world is getting a little closer all the time. It hardly rains any more, anywhere. Everyone is thirsty all the time, and grubby and exhausted. Auden has to learn to live without his father, who is away fighting and has had to move to a new town with his mother, and start a new school, where everyone thinks he's a weirdo. But when he meets Vivi Rookmini, a smiling girl bright with cleverness, his hopes begin to lift.

 

Fact File

The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare is Zillah Bethell’s second children’s novel. She has also written three adult novels.

As a child she enjoyed reading the Malory Towers books by Enid Blyton. Her favourite storybook characters were George from The Famous Five and Velvet Brown from National Velvet. Her favourite book of all time is 1984 by George Orwell.

She likes the sea, mint choc chip ice-cream, horses and music.

To find out more about Zillah visit her website: http://zillahbethell.com/

or follow her on Twitter: @BethellZillah

You can read a Q and A with Bethell here.

Your Reviews

Poppy from Leeds West Acadamey:

I really enjoyed this book and thought it was very well written. The characters fit really well in the plot. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend.

Poppy gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Girls Can't Hit by T S Easton.

Naomi from Abbey Grange C of E academy:

Great book, with a very unpredictable ending! I thought I lnew where the story was going, but I was completely wrong.

Naomi gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Girls Can't Hit by T S Easton.

marlie from king james's:

this book was so fun to read. The characters were so realistic and relevant. my favorite character has to be Paragon, who reminds me of C3-PO from 'Star Wars'. Their mannerisms, knowledge, movements and voice are almost the same.

In short, this book really is a 'paragon', perfect.

marlie gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Ink by Alice Broadway.

William from King James's School:

The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare is a interesting book about a boy who can't see colour. In my opinion the writer did a great job of describing things without colour however the story seemed a little slow at times. I really enjoyed the dystopian near future the book is set in and how it could almost be our own mirrored future.

William gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Dragon's Green by Scarlett Thomas.

Sam from King James's :

I loved The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare because it was unlike other books I've read. I tried to picture what life would be like if you could only see in black and white and it wasn't very easy. I really liked how even though it was a hurdle that he had to overcome, Auden was very creative in ways to approach and get round it.

Sam gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Dragon's Green by Scarlett Thomas.

Jacob from Corpus Christi college, Leeds:

I loved this book immensely, and my favourite character was paragon by far!

Jacob gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Ink by Alice Broadway.

Charlie from King James's School:

I found The colours of Auden Dare really interesting because of the depth of imagination and the reality of Auden's condition. I thought it was brilliant that the author made a great story whilst making us aware of the condition that Auden has. I especially enjoyed how things worked out in the end despite seeming almost impossible. I hope the author continues to write more imaginative and intriguing stories in the near future.

Charlie gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 5 out of 5 and now plans to read I Have No Secrets by Penny Joelson.

Oren from Allerton High:

Auden Dare is an extraordinary book with a great plot and amazing fleshed characters. it follows the story of a child named Auden who is normal in every aspect but one, he is unable to see color.The book sees him and his mom go to a completely new town as a war over water has come to the world. in this new town Auden finds strange things new friends and enemies. it is a great book and I never found myself bored while reading it.

Oren gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird.

Charlotte from Allerton High school:

I loved this book!

It was great,I loved how it was set out and how it started with a cliffhanger. I also really liked the twist with how their money worked. It was a bit confusing to start with but,I got it eventually.

It was a really good book and it kept me hooked throughout the whole story. I would rate this book 4/5 stars as it was emotional but also exciting. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves reading books about other people.

Charlotte gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 4 out of 5 and now plans to read I Have No Secrets by Penny Joelson.

Anna from corpus Christi catholic collage :

Auden isn't just an ordinary kid right.This book gave me a whole new eye on how I see the world that we live in. How (Auden Dare) the main character has an inability to see colour makes the book more interesting to read. Not only is the book a mystery, it also had a beautiful twist that made a tear in my eye i would definitely read this book again

Anna gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 5 out of 5 and now plans to read I Have No Secrets by Penny Joelson.

Helen from Royds :

Auden Dare appears to be an ordinary 11 year old boy, right? Wrong. Auden can`t see colour, he`s not colour blind he just can`t see it. Auden`s uncle dies so he moves into his old house, but with that house comes a secret a secret that could potentially put him and his best friend Vivi in danger.

This book is incredible and offers life at a different perspective. I was hooked from the 1st page and it is such an easy storyline to track. The mystery aspect is amazing and plot twists are well placed. The reader doesn`t know what`s coming. I felt all the emotions and love it.

Helen gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Ink by Alice Broadway.

James from King James's School:

I felt this book gave me a different perspective on how some people see the world. The fact that Auden (the main character) had an inability to see colour made the book more interseting as the author had to find different ways to decribe things. However I do think that in places this book was slow and at times hard to understand. To conclude I would recommend this book to everyone.

James gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Dragon's Green by Scarlett Thomas.

Maddie from King James's School :

Auden Dare is an unusual book with an unordinary storyline. Although I found this an easy read, it was a slow start that I wish was a little shorter. The author explains every character thoroughly so I could easily picture them and gather feelings towards them (especially Paragon). At some points I found this book hard to follow however the ending was well planned and totally unexpected. The ending moved me to tears.

Maddie gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Dragon's Green by Scarlett Thomas.

Ellie from King James's School:

It wasn't what I was expecting but I liked the twist. The author explained Auden's condition very well and I think that his personality suits his character. As much as I enjoyed this story, it took me a while to get into it. Personally, I thought it could do with a little bit more adventure at the beginning, as well as at the end.

Ellie gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Girls Can't Hit by T S Easton.

oliver from king James's School:

1. Here's 5 things about this book.

2. The important things where unimportant.

3. This book should be terrible, it isn't.

4. The ending is everything.

5. This book is recommended by me.

"Less is more" - Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

oliver gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird.

Alasdair from king Jamse's school:

I really enjoyed the concept of the book, however, I do think that it could have been portrayed a little better. Up to part six, I felt that the story was slow and only a few interesting events occurred. I also thought that ts was a bit fragmented and I could not piece together what was going on at that moment. Fortunately, part seven contained a lot more excitement, had a faster pace and expressed more emotion which i thought was needed throughout the rest of the book.

Alasdair gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Girls Can't Hit by T S Easton.

Brianna from Guiseley School:

I thought that this book was interesting, and I really liked most of the characters. However, some things could have been explained more, and the author left a little too much to the imagination.

Brianna gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird.

Tara from Guiseley:

I really enjoyed Auden's sarcasm and personality, and the crazy things he gets up to. I think this book is really unexpected, thrilling and well put together.It presents new ideas and it's so hard to put down because of the constant suspense and questions that need answers. One of my favourite so far.

Tara gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird.

Harneeka from Allerton High school :

I really enjoyed reading this book because it was engaging and emotional. i gave this book a 5 out of 5 because Auden, Vivi and Paragon all have really strong characters who all care about each other. My favourite part was when I found out about what Paragon could do and when they discovered him for the first time. I don't think there is any room for improvement in this book and the introduction is quite good. My favourite character was Paragon as he had human characteristics and was a very touching character. I would recommend this book to people that like adventure and mystery.

Harneeka gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 5 out of 5 and now plans to read I Have No Secrets by Penny Joelson.

Jasmin from Allerton high school:

I really enjoyed reading this book because it was very mysterious at times. I didn’t really like the start of it but as it kept progressing, I began to engage. My favourite character was Paragon because he was very brave and he encouraged Auden to do things. A star rating that I would give it is 6/5. I would recommend this to people who like a good mystery and a lot of fun.

Jasmin gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 5 out of 5 and now plans to read I Have No Secrets by Penny Joelson.

Natasha from Royds:

This book is, as it says in the title, absolutely extraordinary.The way the author creates the forlorn ending by making the sympathy for Paragon, WHO IS A PERSON WEATHER HE IS A ROBOT.The detail is weaved into the plot like cotton on a shirt. Auden looks beyond the utter reality of NO COLOR. Auden reveals the secret that his uncle purposely left for him.How he left the invisible ink only a color blind person can see, or calling Vivi "six six" as roman numerals or the most heart warming... the golden boy as Auden himself

Natasha gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Dragon's Green by Scarlett Thomas.

Jem from King James's School:

I think that the author did an amazing job of describing things in the book, especially without the use of any colour. It has a great story and an amazing ending, with believable characters that have realistic personalities. One of my favourite books so far.

Jem gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Dragon's Green by Scarlett Thomas.

Bob from Corpus Christi Catholic College:

This is a amazing book with a great storyline and the concept of a boy with a inability to see colour is very interesting. The story often overlooks Auden's disability and some of the characters seem to have no real importance.

Bob gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Girls Can't Hit by T S Easton.

Alfie from Corpus Christi:

I think this book is an interesting concept that is carried out almost flawlessly, the idea of a boy that can only see black and white is inspired. The futuristic setting is not outright said but you can tell which is a brilliant idea that is amazingly carried out. My only complaint is that sometimes the story overlooks Auden's disability and I found myself forgetting about it.

Alfie gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Dragon's Green by Scarlett Thomas.

Anna from King James's School:

The book 'The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare' is a great book because it's not hard to read while other books can be, a book that is hard to read loses its captivating touch. I love many things in this book that if i were to put them all into the review i would be typing away for at least 2 hours! One of the things I love in this book is how it clearly illustrates another persons life and how having a certain condition such as Achromatopsia can be a Disadvantage, being unable to see colour, but be a benefit like being able to see clearer in the dark. Another thing that is great is the friendship between Auden and Vivi, don't forget Paragon, despite having many differences they are still best friends and adding in a robot that can develop human emotions and character is truly amazing, one of the best things I believe about this book is that it has a believable Plot.

Anna gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 4 out of 5 and now plans to read I Have No Secrets by Penny Joelson.

Hifza from Allerton grange :

The book was about a boy (Auden dare) who lost his uncle and was trying to find out the reason . The book was spectacular and really fun and interesting to read .

Hifza gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Ink by Alice Broadway.

JAKE from CORPUS CHRISTI CATHOLIC COLLEGE:

Auden Dare is an amazing book which will entice you with its world and characters. At times the characters can be kind of bland and unlikeable but that is overridden by a character I can't explain because it would be a massive spoiler. The elements of mystery also add to the experience as the characters can often solve elaborate puzzles and give interesting explanations. All of these elements join together to create what is truly one of the greatest books I have ever read and I think others will too.

JAKE gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird.

Harrison from Guiseley School:

This book has a wonderful story and had a lovely sweet ending. I would highly recommend this book.

Harrison gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Ink by Alice Broadway.

poppy from roundhay high school:

The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare is an amazing book about a boy who can't see colour. When Auden and his mother move into his decease uncles house he uncovers a secret which could save the world under threat.

poppy gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Girls Can't Hit by T S Easton.

Atena from Cardinal Heenan High School:

I do recommend this book, I really liked the concept of the story. The story's plot was not similar to the books I had read previously, and that's why I like it. I definitely recommend reading it if you are looking for something different from the normal stories.

Atena gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Dragon's Green by Scarlett Thomas.

Elijah from Abbey Grange:

It is a very good book with a good storyline and helps you realise what the true meaning of friendship and trust really means. A great mixture of comedy, reality and sadness.

Elijah gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 4 out of 5 and now plans to read I Have No Secrets by Penny Joelson.

Bethany from Crashaw Academy:

I love this book I love how the author brings to life Auden condition. I would really recommend it!!

Bethany gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird.

Olivia from King James's School :

The extraordinary colours of Auden Dare, is an amazing book about knowing who to trust, being adventurous and continuing though things may be tough. It is both cleverly and wittingly written, portraying an unusual perspective on things, describing it perfectly. It has a wonderful storyline and plot, with a great twist at the end. The characters were amazing and shown clearly.

Olivia gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird.

Qianye from Guiseley school:

this book was a brilliant book about a extraordinary friendship with a surprising twist. I loved this book because it was about a boy with a condition that restricted his sight but he didn't let that stop him! I loved the bittersweet ending.

Qianye gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Dragon's Green by Scarlett Thomas.

Maria from Cardenal Heenan Catholic High School:

Loved the stories...It is a really heart-breaking story. Nearly cried.

Maria gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 5 out of 5 and now plans to read I Have No Secrets by Penny Joelson.

Maria from Cardinal Heenan Catholic Primary School:

A very god book.Nearly cried.Enjoyes reading it and the message of the book.

Maria gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 5 out of 5 and now plans to read I Have No Secrets by Penny Joelson.

Evan from King James's school:

This book is amazing. The characters are clear and I could see them in my mind. My favourite character is Paragon because he is a robot but can feel emotions which is explained really well. I would hate not seeing colour, I think Auden was really courageous.

Evan gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird.

Isabel from allerton high:

This book was amazing! It is very emotional and is definitely the type of book that you would like if you are into emotional, mystery and adventure books. I definitely recommend.

Isabel gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 5 out of 5 and now plans to read I Have No Secrets by Penny Joelson.

Annika from Allerton High School:

I really liked this book because it was really gripping and you couldn’t predict the ending. I would definitely rate this book 5 out of 5 and recommend it to people who like adventure, mystery and friendship.

Annika gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Girls Can't Hit by T S Easton.

Samuel from Corpus Christi Catholic College:

If it was possible to give a book 0 I would award it to this. The story is monotonous and predictable from the outset. Also I have noticed a trend in the books I have read do far that an informal style of first person writing that is abysmal. The idiocy of the main characters had me hating them and wanting to scream "You're meant to be intelligent!" -10/5

Samuel gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 1 out of 5 and now plans to read I Have No Secrets by Penny Joelson.

Anna from Cardinal Heenan Catholic High school:

This was a brilliant book..Very emotional and heart rendering.It made my mum cry. Recommend it!!!!

Anna gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Dragon's Green by Scarlett Thomas.

Miss Busby from Corpus Christi Catholic College:

What a wonderful book! It's very moving in so many ways. I cried a few times (particularly page 334!)

If you like books full of mystery, adventure and suspense you'll love this.

I think this book would make a great movie!

I am confident my students will love this book just as much as me.

Miss Busby gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Girls Can't Hit by T S Easton.

Ben from King James's School:

This book is extremely interesting and draws the reader in to make them want to read more. The relation between the characters and the reader is portrayed perfectly as you always know how the characters feel. The book can also provide moral descisions for Auden as he has to decide on multiple occasions whether to tell his mother some things that he has found out. The ending of the book is also extremely interesting and the plot entirely is a mysterious plot.

Ben gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird.

Poppy from King James's School:

At first a slow moving story, setting the destopian feel, but by the end you have a deep connection with all the characters and the ending could even be a little tear provoking!Paragon was my favourite character as he was the most human of all of them, even though he's, ultimately, not. He is not, as his name suggests, perfect, and they're are many things about him that neither he nor us as readers will ever know. But his character is still lovable and cheery even in the darkest times.The story keeps you guessing, as meaningless coincidence after meaningful coincidence keep you swerving in every direction. Though, admittedly, a slow starter, anyone could tell you that, if you put the work in, you will come out of the experience deeply touched and hounding for more!

Poppy gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Dragon's Green by Scarlett Thomas.

Hannah from King James's School:

The book had everything you need from a story. It had a great plot, a believable plot. The characters were brilliantly drawn and developed throughout the story although, I feel the character Boyle was forced because he seemed to only be put into the story to tell Auden about his Dad, as he doesn’t seem to develop as much as anyone else. The friendship between Auden and Vivi is beautiful and the fact that the writer makes you believe that a robot can also develop in character and actually feel emotion is amazing.

Hannah gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 4 out of 5 and now plans to read I Have No Secrets by Penny Joelson.

Deia from roundhay school:

This book was better than I expected. i first thought it wasn't my type but as I started to read it I got into it and it was quite good.😀

Deia gave The Extraordinary Colours of Auden Dare 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird.