Rating: 
Summary: Very slow start, but gets very interesting
Review: I admit it. I only got this book because it was getting such high acclaim. And actually, it was the only thing that kept me going- but I'm glad I did.The story in this book is a very original and interesting one. Once "Dust" is discribed (even though it's a bit rushed), it does come across as a very thought-provocing idea. The children getting kidnapped may have been done before, but it is done for a very creative reason (don't wanna spoil it for anybody ^_-). The "daemons" (basically an animal manifestation of a person's soul) idea was great and I loved Iorek (though I thought he could've been fleshed out a little more). Yes, there is some criticism in the book about the Catholic Church, but I certainly wasn't offended by it. I didn't see the "church-bashing" that others did, just some criticism thrown around. (I haven't read the other books yet so I can't comment on them. (EDIT: After reading the second book, it *is* there. My opinion of this book hasn't changed, but I would *not* recommend reading the next ones.)) I don't see this as a children's book though because of 1) the length, and 2) the amount of detail and depth may go over little kid's heads. It is definatly a good book for older kids/YA, though it may be a bit too drawn-out for some. The problem I had with this book though was that, for a good 75-100 pages, I really had absolutly no clue what the point of the book was! People would ask me what the book was about, and I would have problems telling them anything besides, "it's about a girl and an animal that follows her everywhere." We see almost everything through the main character's eyes, which is unfortunate because she doesn't know quite alot! We are given hints in the first chapter as to what the whole book is about, but it spends too much time on things that really aren't that important. Then every 5 chapters or so, we get a brief conversation (where the main character isn't present) between two people who do know where the author's leading, but talk about it very vaguely(sp?). I wanted to see why everyone said it was such a good book so, thankfully, I kept reading. If the author got to the point a chapter or two quicker, it would have been a much better book. However, it is worth the time as is.
Rating: 
Summary: a quintessence of Dust
Review: For much of the time while I was reading this book, I almost felt like two people. The 27 year-old fan of postmodernism recognized a lot of the standard devices and somewhat facile symbolism of fantasy novels, found some of the characterizations occasionally to border on cliche, and even thought the authorial voice was uneven in parts. At the same time, reading "The Golden Compass" took me back to how I felt when I was 9 or 10, reading Lloyd Alexander and Tolkien and Phillip Jose Farmer and Julian May for the first time, almost physically unable to put the book down. There were moments I found myself almost overcome at the powerful emotions and primal forces Pullman lets loose within the story -- though there were others when I wondered if he was really doing all that much more than dozens of other novels I'd read centering on "quest" plots. But the last twenty pages or so lift "The Golden Compass" well above the level of most so-called "young adult fiction" -- though, like the Harry Potter books to which Pullman's trilogy is often compared, the level of plotting, characterization and prose is much, much closer to Tolkien than to the drippy, forgettable books they had in middle school study hall. In the novel's conclusion, Pullman binds the strands of spirituality, anti-authoritarianism, and moral courage interwoven throughout into a powerful finale that is both episodically satisfying and guaranteed to leave the reader eager for more. And while I doubt this was his primary intent, the substantive conclusions drawn as to the nature (and representatives) of good and evil are not without relevance to our own morally ambiguous times. In a world of rote sanctimony and morality by after-school special, Pullman's powerful judgments are as bracing and refreshing as they are challenging. As other reviewers have commented, Pullman never condescends to either his reader or his characters. Lyra, his heroine, undoubtedly is an extraordinary child, but she is a child through and through. Her sensations of wonder, rage, dread and joy are conducted in full force by the crisp prose, and offer a full range of delight to the reader.
Rating: 
Summary: Slow starter, but an outstanding finish
Review: The first half of this book didn't impress me much. Standard bit about the orphan kid raised in a castle-like setting suddenly getting whisked off on an adventure. Sure, the demon bit was different and there was more pseudo-science than your typical fantasy novel, but otherwise the same. About halfway through, though, Pullman really turns the book around. The whole story of the bears and the armor was incredibly cool. The escape scene towards the end was very thrilling. Then the shocking twist at the end totally grabbed me. I will definitely have to get the next book. The Golden Compass may start rather sedately, but the ending is more than makes up for it.
Rating:
Summary: Hard to put down
Review: Young Lyra is a strong, brave, confident girl living in an alternate world. As often happens with kids, the adults around her are turning the world around her into upheaval and she is caught in the middle, until only she can save things. Her adventure is interesting and certainly kept my attention, even if some of the turns of events seemed a little convenient or otherwise unrealistic. Although I read the book fairly quickly, I found myself slowing down at times because some points the prose was a bit thick or the events confusing. This happened especially at the end, as the alternate world was not explained and was left to subjection, and at the end. Be prepared to buy the next two books in the series if you begin this one. The end, which seemed a bit hastily-drawn in comparison with the rest of the book, leaves readers at a tense place where they must continue with the series in order to have any satisfaction.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful book!!!!!!!!!!
Review: Lyra and her dæmon (A dæmon is a soul-like companion to each individual human being.) Pantalaimon, have lived in Jordan College their whole life, but strange things are beginning to happen. Children are disappearing, the master of Jordan College tries to poison Lyra?s Uncle, and Lyra must go to live with Mrs. Coulter, a woman scholar. What does it all mean? I really liked this book and I would recommend it to anyone who likes mysteries or fantasies. I liked The Golden Compass because there is a strong female character and lots of interesting animals like Panserbjørne, which are armored bears. Warning: You must have a wide vocabulary to understand this book.
Rating:
Summary: good book bad ending
Review: When I was told to read the Golden Compass for a school assignment I went home and skimmed through the book like I always do. Then as I got through the Book I started to love it. I couldnt put the book down. I enjoy reading and I love fantasy. The book was entriging and I Finished it in a week. When I got to the end however, I was dissapointed at the fact that questions i had went unsolved. I think there are a few possibilities why this books ending was not written well to the degree of the rest of the book. -The author wants you to read the next book(which i will, in all probability not do, because of my temper of the fist book) -The author is not a very strong writer when it comes to concluding. -The author was tired and so he made the ending sloppy. So basicly i enjoyed the book and would recomend it to a person who doesnt need all the strings tied up at the end.
Rating:
Summary: A trip through a fantastic world!
Review: I have to admit The Golden Compass took me by surprise. When I saw it in the children's section, and having read the Harry Potter books, I was expecting something, well, different. This is NOT Harry Potter - not by a long shot. This is not a sugar-coated kid's book. People die in this one, folks, good people, some of them kids. The adults portrayed in this book in many cases cannot be trusted. This book is full of blood & gore, & the ending is ambiguous. Good doesn't necessarily triumph over evil, and everyone doesn't live happily ever after. Consequently, I don't really think I'd recommend it for younger readers. As an adult, though, I truly enjoyed the complexity of this novel. It's by far more imaginative than anything I've read in a long time. More than just a roller-coaster ride of fantasy, Pullman excels in the development of his characters. It's very rare to find a book where the heroine is a child, & for the author to maintain an authentic "voice" for that character. If the book interests adults (as does this one), you can almost guarantee the ten-year-old at the heart of the story will appear much older than her supposed years. Not so with Lyra in The Golden Compass. Pullman successfully portrays her as a kid - with all the over-confidence, naiveté, and innocence one might encounter in a real 10-year-old. The authenticity makes The Golden Compass an excellent read.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome!
Review: The first chapter was a little bit boring, and much of the first part of the book was a little bit boring as well, but around page 150 it really picked up, and from then on it was excitement, action, humor, and mystery. When Lyra was at Bolvangar, I was desperate to find out whether she would survive, be cut away from Pantalaimon, or worse. At Svalbard, I was itching with childlike anticipation as Lyra was held prisoner. When she tricked Iofur, the king of the armored bears, I was grinning with delight and amazement. I would have never thought of her trick. I probably would've ended up dead there, but Lyra was brave and managed to do the impossible. The battle between Iorek and Iofur was captivatingly wonderful, although the end was a bit gory. The end of the book was spectacular, and I started reading the Subtle Knife the moment I finished. A must read for fans of Harry Potter.
Rating:
Summary: a fantastic multi layered story
Review: this the first of the dark materials trilogy called the golden compass known to me as northern lights as this is the title it is published under here in the UK follows the adventures of young hero lyra belacqua and her demon companion pantalaimon in this world every human has their own animal shaped demon and it is unthinkable that anyone would not have a demon ,lyra adventures go from her home in Jordan college in Oxford to london then a boat journey to the fens and then up to the arctic circle after one of her friends is kidnapped by the gruesome Gobblers this is obviously a tightly ,multi layered series of books which in my opinion are more adult reading than childrens as some of the passages are quite gory and adult.This book is for the person who has finished Harry Potter and wants a book to stretch them a bit further,if you like gypsies,witches,armoured bears and a plot which twists and turns like a plate of spaghetti this is the book for you ENJOY!.
Rating:
Summary: An engaging start to a trilogy for older teens...
Review: This is not a book (or trilogy) for younger readers. I'd recommend this for kids 15 or so and up, as some of the concepts are too complex for younger minds. But for those teens (and adults!) who are willing to work with the concepts presented (religion, deception, good which is seemingly evil and vice versa), this book can be quite fufilling. It has all the elements of a good fantasy. A heroine who is all too human, a desparate quest, a long journey through dangerous lands, helpful friends and allies, a terrible foe, magical devices to help the hero, and so on. Lyra Silvertongue and her alter ego Pantalaimon find their lives uprooted by a twist of fate, and off on their quest they go. As with all trilogies, this first book ends leaving us hanging, wishing for more. I'd advise buying all three books together and reading them one right after the other, so as to not lose the train of thought. There is much complex detail which needs to be kept in the mind, and trying to do so piecemeal would be quite hard. All in all a thoroughly wonderful book of fantasy and magic for the older youth reader, or even a youthful minded adult.
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