Rating: 
Summary: Fabulous Story
Review: What a fabulous story! I was turned on to Philip Pullman by the Harry Potter community (not surprisingly); here's another set of, ostensibly, children's books that appeal to readers of all ages.I'd go so far as to say these books are fairly advanced even for "young adults." Then again, maybe I'm a young adult. :) The characters, the plot, the brilliant and sometimes scary concepts are fabulous. I don't know of anyone, adult or child, who can read about "intercision" without getting chills. Lyra is a fabulous heroine, and the supporting cast of heroes and villians are fully real. I was instantly hooked.
Rating: 
Summary: Not a good choice for Christian children
Review: I decided to read this book before giving it to my granddaughter. It was enjoyable, but for some reason the author has decided to portray the church, and in particular the Catholic church, as the power behind the villains. The Pope, priests, the magisterium, are all evil. Adults can deal with this, realizing the book is fantasy, but it may adversely affect impressionable children.
Rating: 
Summary: WONDERFUL ADVENTURE FOR ALL AGES
Review: I purchased this book as a gift for a pre-teen. I decided to read a few pages to get a taste of the story. Before I knew it, I was sucked right into Lyra's big adventure. Pullman is an extraordinarily gifted writer who also happens to be a master story teller. I liked this book so much, I ran out and bought the sequel (The Subtle Knife) as soon as I finished.
Rating:
Summary: An all-around excellent work
Review: The His Dark Materials trilogy is brilliant. I have read a Harry Potter book now, and I still hold that The Golden Compass is much, much better. There are SO many levels to it, so it's fantastic for young and old. This series explores the fundamental issues of life and existence in an open-minded way, and Pullman does a fantastic job of pulling this trick off. I hope one day to even be half as good a writer as he is.
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Summary: A Great Book In a Great series
Review: This is a great book. I bet you that you will like it too. It tells a story about a girl who goes on an adventure trying to find dust and what it is. Many people are afraid of it. The church thought it was bad too. Lyra is on a mission to find out exactly what it is and if it is good or bad. She is sometimes by herself and sometimes with other people. She figures out who her real mom and dad are. Her mom is Mrs. Coulter and her dad is Lord Asreil.
Rating:
Summary: The Golden Compass -- A Brilliant Start To An Awesome Series
Review: I must say this book shocked me for several days and it was all I could think about for a long time. YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK. If you've read some of the reviews and you're still not sure if you should read it, let me tell you a little bit about the protagonist, Lyra Belacqua: I love Lyra's character because she is determined to fulfill her destiny and find out who she is. Her loving devotion to her daemon proves her greatness as not only a friend and companion, but also as a person. She never forgets her allies, and is loving toward everyone who is willing to help her. Lyra is a very strong person, because she has to deal with amazing betrayal throughout the book. Lyra makes up for her losses and betrayals, though, with the devoted friends she makes along her epic journey. This book truly made me laugh and cry as the chapters grew more intense, and I would recommend The Golden Compass to any reader, young or old.
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Summary: Excitement
Review: There is not a moment in this book that does not propel the story forward, or explain a previous puzzle, or create a new mystery that needs to be solved. Some books hit a point where nothing is happening and it's a chore to read it, but you can never stop reading Northern Lights (or 'The Golden Compass'). You are constantly wondering what will happen next and the tangled web of sin and evil and mystery that is wrapped up in an amazing plot is sometimes so overwhelming you have to stop and think for a moment. The main character, Lyra, is only twelve, so reading it you can relate to her young, innocent, sometimes confuzed view to life. But there are also characters of unimaginable ages, Serefina Pekkala, for instance, a witch. Seeing the world through their eyes also helps us to understand the incredably complex plot. This plot pulls you in very well, thanks to the amazing talents of Phillip Pullman. I have had to oppertunity to meet Mr. Pullman and i found that every part of his story comes from somewhere inside himself, whether it be something he himself has experienced, or something he's always dreamed of doing. This makes the story even more enjoyable to read. The end is spectacular, grand and overwhelming. Such a huge task for such a small person, and only the company of her deamon to help her continue on her search. What will happen next?
Rating:
Summary: Inspires awe in the writing and the magic
Review: The Golden Compass is stunning - it's full of unique ideas and an incredible landscape. It hardly feels like magic, and science of a sort underlays most of the ideas in the book. But it's thrilling and full of rich, deep, funny characters who continually step out of the page and into three dimensionality. It makes Harry Potter seem positively workaday, but, on more reflection, Potter and Lyra (the star of this book) are two sides of a coin. They're both headstrong, but Harry has to fight his battle against ultimate evil inside a framework. Lyra's world is falling apart and so rules have been broken already - she has to use all means at her quite extensive disposal.
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Summary: The Golden Compass is a book for retelling
Review: The Golden Compass is well-written, imaginative and dark. Mr. Pullman's writing draws you in and he creates a believable universe within the story. I found myself thinking about Lyra's alternate world during the week I read the book. It is also a story that makes for good oral retelling. Other reviewers have comparedf the book with the Harry Potter but I found myself comparing it to the Star Wars trilogy -- there's good and evil, fantastic creatures, improbable allies and a child with a destiny unknown to her.
Rating:
Summary: Great, tight reading.
Review: This is So very good.... the character are wonderful, in both there likanbility and there dislikability. that said the characters are complex, and not black and white in terms of their motivations and actions. this book has great depth. loved every page
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