Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Teddy and the Darkgate

by Simon M. Garrett (Goodreads Author)

3.65 of 5 stars 3.65 · rating details · 20 ratings · 18 reviews

Nobody takes a teddy seriously — and that might just save Teddy’s life.

Not that he’ll notice; Teddy is too focused on reaching the lady of his dreams, avoiding a vomiting baby and finding a way to get from Aberystwyth to Clehonger, despite being unable to read a map.

Behind the scenes, things are moving. Dark things. Dark things that would happily kill an idealistic Teddy w...more

Paperback, 1st, 208 pages

Published July 1st 2011 by grwpgwyn

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 117)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

May 08, 2012 Simon Garrett rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

I'm the author of this book so it's impossible for me to review it normally - instead, I'll tell you how the book came into existence, and how it changed me while I was writing it.

At the beginning, I was simply writing down some stories that I had made up, about a large teddy bear I'd bought from IKEA. I was, at the time, very nervous about becoming a dad. Playing with the idea of a large, live Teddy, in the back of the car or around the house, gave me the opportunity to find out how I'd react t...more I'm the author of this book so it's impossible for me to review it normally - instead, I'll tell you how the book came into existence, and how it changed me while I was writing it.

At the beginning, I was simply writing down some stories that I had made up, about a large teddy bear I'd bought from IKEA. I was, at the time, very nervous about becoming a dad. Playing with the idea of a large, live Teddy, in the back of the car or around the house, gave me the opportunity to find out how I'd react to carrying someone around in my life. So, to begin with, that's all Teddy was, and his stories grew out of that.

I soon began to realise that Teddy's character (such as it was back then) was an interesting one. Irrepressibly naive, but with quiet strength and autonomy, it made me wonder what would happen if he found himself in the world alone. And when my first son arrived I soon worked out why Teddy might leave! The idea for Teddy's journey came out of that.

At the beginning, I was writing for an audience of two - my wife and I - but the book took on a life of its own. The story became more intricate and serious, the ideas behind it helped me understand some of the things I was feeling at the time, and people told me they wanted to read it when it was finished.

After playing around with the book for five years, I decided to really write it properly. I re-drafted the whole thing so it was more consistent and read better, and added the final two chapters of the book, which introduced a wider narrative that gave the book a denouement and better showed all that Teddy (and we) had learned during the book.

In the end I found I had changed. I'd become a proper writer, concerned with building and telling stories that matter; I'd faced my demons to do with parenthood and created a story about love and belonging and innocence; I'd developed as a person, no longer just looking inwards, but now using writing to express and share and give to others things that I've learned or thought about - things that seem like they might matter to people in general.

And the response has been amazing. I've had emails from people I've never met telling me what Teddy means to them; saying the book is one of the best things they've ever read (I don't know what they've been reading until now!) and asking for - or rather demanding - the sequel. (less)

like 1 like · see review

Jun 06, 2012 David Caldwell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: won-it-on-goodreads-first-reads, good-for-all, paranormal

I won a copy on Goodreads Firstreads.

This was a really nice little story.Teddy,the teddy,is a typical teddy.The love of his owners has Awaken him to the point where he cam walk and talk.But he is not very bright.He is more concerned with being happy and living in the moment.So when his people bring a new baby into their home,Teddy has trouble adjusting to the change.

Feeling neglected, Teddy decides to set out to find a lovely Lady Teddy that he saw drive by one day.Having almost no plan of how t...more

like · see review

Jun 15, 2012 Tana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: action-adventure, drama, friendship, fantasy-paranormal, giveaway, humor

I have gotten Teddy and the Darkgate from a goodreads giveaway, meaning the version I have is a mis-printed draft, and not the proper 1st edition.

Truthfully, when I had first signed up for this giveaway, this definitely wasn't one of the books I had really wanted. My first thought was something along the lines of "Moving teddy bears. Just great. A children's story." But for some reason or another, I had signed up for it, and I'm really glad I did.

This isn't Toy Story where toys only interact wit...more I have gotten Teddy and the Darkgate from a goodreads giveaway, meaning the version I have is a mis-printed draft, and not the proper 1st edition.

Truthfully, when I had first signed up for this giveaway, this definitely wasn't one of the books I had really wanted. My first thought was something along the lines of "Moving teddy bears. Just great. A children's story." But for some reason or another, I had signed up for it, and I'm really glad I did.

This isn't Toy Story where toys only interact with toys and never reveal their true selves to humans and where magic doesn't exist (I'm not counting the toys moving and talking as magic).

(view spoiler)

There are lessons to be learnt if one chooses to read this for more than just entertainment.

Also, unlike most books, almost every creature (human, toys, and animals) in here speak with a different accent and sentence structures. Grammer, when it came to those characters, doesn't really apply for the most part.

Anyhow, all in all, I really did enjoy reading this book (though it did take me some time to get through it because I was busy). I wished I knew what the proper ending was though.(less)

like · see review

May 08, 2012 Dipika Patel rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of offbeat fiction

Recommended to Dipika by: Jan

Shelves: fiction, fantasy

I'll start with a disclaimer: I know the author. But I didn't let this affect my judgement of this book, which I found to be extremely enjoyable.

Don't be put off by the cover - this is no simple children's tale. Dark undercurrents run throughout the story as Teddy continues on his journey to find another teddy he thinks is his soulmate - and discovers he's part of something much bigger.

My favourite thing about this book is the wonderfully drawn characters. Whether it's a sheep, a doll or even a...more

like · see review

Jun 26, 2012 Annette rated it 3 of 5 stars

I received this book from the goodreads first reads giveaway.

When I started reading this book, I really enjoyed it. The story was cute and charming, and I felt I couldn't put it down. I'm not sure what happened, but about 1/3 of the way into the book, it just couldn't keep my attention anymore. I enjoyed it, but couldn't read more than a few pages at a time. Now, don't get me wrong, that may have just been me. So, I told myself I was going to sit down and finish the story, and forced myself to...more

like · see review

Jul 09, 2012 Robin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. It was an interesting read, but I'm not really sure what I think of it. I was hesitant about the plot of the book before I even began reading it, but having an open mind and extreme curiosity, I decided to check it out. I wasn't too sure how the author would work the idea of a living teddy bear into a the story but I think he did it semi-successfully. I will say it was strange to read, and that I didn't like the way Teddy's speech was presented. I think t...more I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. It was an interesting read, but I'm not really sure what I think of it. I was hesitant about the plot of the book before I even began reading it, but having an open mind and extreme curiosity, I decided to check it out. I wasn't too sure how the author would work the idea of a living teddy bear into a the story but I think he did it semi-successfully. I will say it was strange to read, and that I didn't like the way Teddy's speech was presented. I think the phonetic spelling of his speech was annoying the longer it went on and I would have rather had other indicators that implied Teddy spoke that way instead of having to read it spelled out so clearly. Every time it came up it took me out of the story. Maybe it's a preference thing, but I just don't think Teddy's speech worked in this story. I understand what the author was going for, but I would have enjoyed it more if it had been done differently.

The story did keep me reading as I tried to figure out what was going on, but I feel like I didn't know where it was going for most of the story, and not in the sense of suspense/surprise, but in the sense of a lack of direction. I felt like the bigger story that comes out on the end doesn't really connect well throughout the beginning of the story and is kind of thrown in at the end to lead to a next book. There are a few mentions or allusions to something bigger throughout the beginning of the story, but only about 30 pages from the end does that portion of the tale grow, so it seems like a kind of afterthought. It also is never really explained or resolved completey, or at least sufficiently enough to feel like the story was ready to end.

Overall, there is a story here that could be something great, and maybe the next book will explain everything and be better, but this story didn't really work for me. The world wasn't really well thought out, and I feel like everything was just thrown together with dwarves and living dolls and goblins and I wasn't sure they all worked together. As a final thought, though, I will say the descriptions of the book imply it is meant for adults but from reading it, I think it'd be enjoyed more by YA readers because the tone of the story is very young. After reading the story and thinking about it for a while, I still don't know what I think of it or exactly what was going on, but if I did find the next book I might read it just to see if it explains things better.(less)

like · see review

Jun 06, 2012 Marylynn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-read

A very engaging story I got the chance to read by winning a First Reads giveaway. The main character Teddy goes on an adventure to find true love, but meets some friends and foes along the way. Things don't always turn out quite how Teddy wants, and he learns a few hard lessons along the way.

Some of the people he encounters seem to be fairly heavy handed metaphors for different religious and social groups, like a herd of sheep calling themselves The Flock, but the way they change as a result of...more

like · see review

Feb 15, 2013 Jan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle

Disclaimer: I knew the author at university.

I approached Teddy and the Darkgate tentatively, because I thought it was a children's book. Within a few pages, I realised that I was wrong. This is a book about love, loss, rejection, belief systems and philosophies of life. It's an action packed adventure story, centred around a soft toy who is brought to life by the love of humans, and who almost loses that life again by following a quest to find true love. It explores the issues around becoming a...more

like · see review

Dec 05, 2012 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I read this book on one day whilst sitting in Belfast airport and I tell you what, I'm sure it was a guarantee that nobody else was reading the same book! And for me that's a shame, because I really enjoyed it!

It's a very simple adventure story, Teddy wants to meet Lady Teddy and he goes out to find her after he sees her pass by his house in a car. On the way he meets a variety of things that talk that usually don't, including sheep, dolls and shoes and then we even take a wander into fairyland...more

like · see review

Dec 30, 2012 Renee rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I received a complimentary copy of this book through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.

I don't particularly like giving negative reviews because I really do believe that just because I don't like a book, it doesn't mean someone else won't enjoy it. This book had me shaking my head throughout in bafflement. I'm left unsure as to who is the intended target audience.

You have a talking teddy bear who drinks toilet water, who feels various levels of pain, who eats and drinks but doesn't need sustena...more

like · see review

Apr 11, 2013 Georgiann Hennelly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Teddy and the Darkgate is a story about a teddy bear who is just trying to reach the lady of his dreams and trying to find a way to get from Aberystwyth to Clehonger, even though he can't read a map.Things are moving behind the scenes. Dark things, that would happily kill teddy. An idealistic bear who is just bumbling along through the world. The biggest threat is to his dreams. Will a world full of cynical animals and indifferent humans take away all his hopes and wide eyed trust, or will he fi...more

like · see review

Jul 14, 2012 Vikki rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I won this book on Goodreads Giveaway

It was a cute story - imagine if Teddy's really did get up to those kind of adventures! But it just didn't grab my attention as much as I would have liked to give it a higher rating. It started off as a quest to find Lady Teddy... and whilst that storyline was dealt with, I ended up feeling a bit lost when the focus shifted from that to Darkgate. It felt a little rushed through. Maybe a re-read would help... At times I found the characters' speech a little ir...more

like · see review

Jun 16, 2012 Jackie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, childrens, fantasy, giveaways

I got this book through a Goodreads giveaway. It was advertised as good for adults, but it was not. I made it through 4 chapters and up to page 51, I am going to pass it on to my grandsons. I think they will like it.

like · see review

Jun 09, 2012 Rita rated it 4 of 5 stars

I won this book through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway. A well written read. Very entertaining. I could not put this book down. You have to read this book you will not regret picking it up and reading.

like · see review

Jan 11, 2013 Vicki rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads-wins, books-i-own

GOODREADS FIRST READS WIN: I won this book on Goodreads and was skeptical when I began to read it. I am not totally enthralled with the story, but it does have its redeeming qualities.

Teddy (a real teddy bear) searches for the love of his life, Lady Teddy of Clehonger Cars. Nothing will stop him from finding her. He has fallen in love at first sight. :o)

I think that this book has lessons to teach, if the reader is willing to stick to the story and not prejudge. It is a little weird reading abou...more

like · see review

Jun 24, 2012 Nikki rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, goodreads-giveaway-wins

-I won this in a GoodReads giveaway-

A cute, quick read about a teddy named Teddy and a big adventure for such a small bear.

I thought this would be a more adult book, but it was fun nonetheless. I will be on the lookout for the future adventures of Teddy.

like · see review

Mar 12, 2013 tuttle88 marked it as gave-up-on

Shelves: giveaway

Received this through a giveaway back when I signed up for all the giveaways even though I was pretty sure I wouldn't like the book.

like · see review

Jul 26, 2012 Koko rated it 3 of 5 stars

I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. That was a cute story, and I really imagine a film (maybe more for children) based on that book !

like · see review

Aug 09, 2012 Rukhsar is currently reading it

Aug 09, 2012 Ami marked it as to-read

Aug 05, 2012 Angeline Ng marked it as to-read

Shelves: fiction

Jul 25, 2012 Luisa Fernanda marked it as to-read

Jul 13, 2012 Katharine marked it as to-read

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy, spiritual

Jul 25, 2012 Matt rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jun 17, 2012 Jonah added it

Oct 31, 2012 Julia8274 rated it 3 of 5 stars

Jun 12, 2012 Elizabeth marked it as to-read

Jun 11, 2012 Dawn marked it as to-read

Jun 10, 2012 Carolyn marked it as to-read

Jun 09, 2012 Guadalupe marked it as to-read

« previous 1 2 3 4 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

Genres

Fantasy

2 users

See top shelves...

About Simon M. Garrett

Simon M Garrett was born in England, about thirty miles south west of London, to ordinary parents. He lived in an ordinary house with his younger brother, but they invented extra-ordinary adventures, and Simon discovered the excitement of creating stories.

However, Simon was told that writing and story-telling was not a real job; that he couldn't spell; that his writing was messy; that he wasn't a...more

More about Simon M. Garrett...

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Teddy and the Dar...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: Teddy and the Darkgate
avg rating	preview: Teddy and the Darkgate Goodreads rating: 3.65 (20 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13638884-teddy-and-the-darkgate?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1336464324l/13638884.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13638884-teddy-and-the-darkgate?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Teddy and the Darkgate by Simon M. Garrett[/url]

Teddy and the Darkgate

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

Genres

About Simon M. Garrett

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Teddy and the Dar...

new topic
Discuss This Book