Crispin: The End of Time By Avi

• 04/03/2014
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Crispin: The End of Time
Avi
Balzer + Bray (2010)
ISBN 9780061740800
Reviewed by Ben Weldon (age 11) for Reader Views (05/10)

“Crispin: The End of Time” by Avi is the story of Crispin, a boy in the middle ages who finds himself and his friend Troth stuck in France with only a few words of guidance from their former mentor. He told them that they must try to find a place called Iceland, where there are no kings or monarchs and everyone is a free person there. Throughout their adventures they must face many problems such as unwelcoming villagers and marauding French soldiers. Will they make their way to Iceland? Will he find freedom?

As the two friends traveled through France, they found an abbey with some nuns that offered to help them. After some time, Troth decided to stay at the abbey and become the healer there. Crispin was crushed to leave his friend behind but continued on his quest for Iceland. He soon fell in with a band of thieves and murderers and was forced to join them. Will Crispin ever escape? Will he make it to Iceland?

As Crispin continued on his journey with his new “companions,” he realized that something was very wrong. The party had a servant boy named Owen who Crispin was warned to stay away from. Heedless of their warning he was finally able to talk to Owen and learned a dark secret. Crispin then realized that he had to get away fast. But before Crispin could get away he was captured by “the family” (Crispin’s traveling companions). Will Crispin be able to escape the evil clutches of the family, or will he be bound in servitude, or worse, to them forever?

I would recommend this book to people who like action and adventure. “Crispin: The End of Time” is the third book in a trilogy. It was so well written that you could just pick it up and start reading without having read the preceding books. It was a very entertaining read and I finished it the day I started it.