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Heaven Eyes

3.66 of 5 stars 3.66 · rating details · 704 ratings · 64 reviews

Erin Law and her friends are Damaged Children. At least that is the label given to them by Maureen, the woman who runs the orphanage that they live in. Damaged, Beyond Repair because they have no parents to take care of them. But Erin knows that if they care for each other they can put up with the psychologists, the social workers, the therapists -- at least most of the ti...more

Paperback, 233 pages

Published October 8th 2002 by Laurel Leaf (first published June 15th 2000)

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Jul 31, 2012 Emma Long rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

'Heaven Eyes' tells the story of a young orphan, Erin, who runs away from Whitegates with her friend January Carr, and their uninvited guest, Mouse. Their journey begins on a makeshift raft along a river. Going with the ebbs and flows of the current they are soon marooned on the dark mud bank of the Black Middens. Guided by the spiritual comfort and voice of her mother, Erin pulls the raft to safety. Here the three orphans meet a strange web fingered girl with bright eyes and blonde hair, Heaven...more 'Heaven Eyes' tells the story of a young orphan, Erin, who runs away from Whitegates with her friend January Carr, and their uninvited guest, Mouse. Their journey begins on a makeshift raft along a river. Going with the ebbs and flows of the current they are soon marooned on the dark mud bank of the Black Middens. Guided by the spiritual comfort and voice of her mother, Erin pulls the raft to safety. Here the three orphans meet a strange web fingered girl with bright eyes and blonde hair, Heaven Eyes. As the story progresses we meet an old man with black dust in the creases of his skin, Grampa.

For a few days the Orphans live with Heaven Eyes and Grampa in the derelict printing press, living off Cadbury's Milk Tray and Fray Bento's Corn Beef. Grampa is forever patrolling the grounds and digging for treasures for Heaven Eyes. January, the sharp witted young boy is reluctant to trust the two new beings they have met and is determined to find out what Grampa keeps in the boxes on the very top shelf and the locked drawer of his desk. Inside lies the truth behind Heaven Eyes and her past. Is she a 'fishy, froggy thing' or a ghost? Could this quite possibly be the end for Erin, January and Mouse?

The books of David Almond are laced with mystery, and some of that mystery remains unresolved. There is a consistent theme of belonging that runs through Almonds books. Stemming from familiar backgrounds, Almond uncovers the concept of the "damaged" child in this story and their quest for a journey away from their humdrum life in the orphanage.

The novel is delicate and Almond's prose has a poetic nature to it. The disjointed structure of sentences adds life to the characters and allows the reader to empathise with their struggle. Similar to 'Skellig' and 'The Savage' the themes of this story can be used in a KS2 PSHCE lesson to discuss the need to belong, bullying and highlight the need for social interaction. Furthermore, science experiments testing the buoyancy of makeshift rafts can be carried out in class. 'Heaven Eyes' can also be used to research the journey of rivers from spring to sea.

I found the mystery, friendship and journey covered in the book to be very endearing. I believe 'Heaven Eyes' to be most suitable for a Year 6 class as the content covered may need the maturity and understanding of an older child.(less)

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Sep 01, 2009 Sandra Strange rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

I've read several books by this author, all YA lit. His novels tend to mix reality with supernatural, and are usually just weird, but intriguing. This odd book hangs between realistic fiction and fantasy. Orphans Erin and her friend January escape from Whitegates, the home where adult Maureen pesters them about their memories and calls them “damaged children.” They float on their makeshift raft to the Black Middens, mucky mud flats revealed when the river is at low tide. There they meet the myst...more

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Mar 08, 2011 Jeremy Bostick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Heaven Eyes
11-7-10
by Jeremy Bostick

I enjoyed reading the book Heaven Eyes by David Almond for many reasons. The book had interesting characters, the plot is unusual, but believable and I always enjoy Almond’s writing style. I have read five of his books, and this one is one of the best.

In David Almond's books, the characters may seem similar, but they're always powerful and different in a way that's hard to notice, until you finish the book. For example, in Heaven Eyes most of the characters are...more Heaven Eyes
11-7-10
by Jeremy Bostick

I enjoyed reading the book Heaven Eyes by David Almond for many reasons. The book had interesting characters, the plot is unusual, but believable and I always enjoy Almond’s writing style. I have read five of his books, and this one is one of the best.

In David Almond's books, the characters may seem similar, but they're always powerful and different in a way that's hard to notice, until you finish the book. For example, in Heaven Eyes most of the characters are orphans, which is also true in Raven Summer. But most of the children in Raven Summer are far less mentally stable than the characters in Heaven Eyes.

The majority of Almond’s books deal with ordinary people in believable situations, however there is often a extraordinary twist. The plot line in Heaven Eyes is mostly believable. I can only think of one thing in the plot line that isn't physically possible and there are few things that aren't very believable. For example, there is a character who has webbed hands and feet. That is physically possible with a genetic defect, but very difficult to believe. Also there is an insane old man who lives in an abandoned printing press. In the book it references that he rescued the girl with the webbed hands and feet from a mud pit. He now is dedicated to protecting her from the outside world. He does so by telling her that everyone else in the world is a ghost. He cuts her off from contact with society and feels this is his way of protecting her. The unexpected twists and differences from everyday life make Heaven Eyes interesting.

I really like the writing style of David Almond, because he somehow keeps things interesting in parts of the book that would normally be boring. He is also a very descriptive writer. For example, when Almond is describing an impossible scene where a dead body comes back to life he writes, “I thought it was just the candles way, the light flickered across his skin. I squeezed my eyes. I thought it was exhaustion. I thought it was the effect of seeing grandpa die, the effect of all the events of the last few days. I squeezed my eyes. I shook my head. The movement was tiny, almost invisible, gentle a flexing of his fingers, a gentle arcing of his back. Then nothing. It must have been the candles, my exhaustion. Then it came again, both hands flexing, that gentle arcing of his back. The Saint slowly raised his knees and lowered them again.” This was one of the most descriptive parts of the book, but most of his writing is similarly descriptive.

When I was nearing completion of this book, I realized that it would make a surprisingly good play. All of the parts could easily be done to a certain extent. The most supernatural part of the entire book, when the saint, (actually a corpse) got up and walked back into the river were it came from with the old man's ghost, is actually easy to stage, with a few minor adjustments of course.

I believe that Heaven Eyes is a good book for boys and girls who would like something to read that is a little creepy, but still fairly reasonable and original. David Almond's writing is also possibly at its best and most descriptive in this book. On a top 10 list of books I've read, this would probably be about nine, but even getting on the top 10 list of books is pretty good for the amount of books I've read recently.(less)

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Feb 19, 2012 Jo Bennie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Erin Law is an orphan, living in Whitegates children's home with 11 other children. Her closest friends are January Carr - named for the month and the hospital he was found on the steps of - and Mouse Gullane, a child desparate to please. Before his father abandoned mouse he tatooed 'Please look after me' on his son's arm. Life is haunted by loss and sadness, by the attempts of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and care workers to get the children to express their griefs and Erin's re...more

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Sep 20, 2011 Jenni Noordhoek rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairy-tale

This is definitely a book about children, and not really so much for children. There isn't anything wrong with it for children, but it's much more about children.

I am not sure how much I liked it.

There were some stylistic things that could be considered flaws (like I didn't realise that Heaven Eyes had webbed fingers until halfway through) and it just got kind of weird at one point (the children supposedly see the ghosts/spirits of two dead characters depart).

But it was about orphans, and the...more

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Sep 01, 2009 Linda Lipko rated it 5 of 5 stars

Continuing my quest to read all of Almond's books in 2009, I found this book more mythological than his previous.

As usual, Almond writes of children who search to belong and to make sense of the adult world around them. Again, the pattern in Almond's work is the main character who binds the wounds and heals the pain is a strong female.

Erin Law and her friends January Carr and Mouse Gullane live in the orphanage of Whitegate, and are labeled "Damaged Children." With no parents to take care of the...more

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May 04, 2009 Carrie rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Guys and girls, 12 years and up

Shelves: young-adult-literature, audio-book

David Almond has done it again... Not knowing what to expect, I popped the first cassette of this book into my car's tape deck, and the unusual, intriguing lilt of the woman narrating had me pulling up a seat immediately. A sweet, mysterious story of three orphans who discover an extraordinary girl in an extraordinary world, and all it takes is a short trip on a makeshift raft and getting stuck in the mud of the black, black middens... There are hints of the supernatural and I felt like somethin...more

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Jan 20, 2009 Joseph rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm still trying to figure this one out. I hesitate to give it three starts, because I think the truth is I'm not caught up with Almond. I certainly recommend Kit's Wilderness before I recommend this book, but there is something awfully fascinating about this story. Heaven Eyes is the name of a girl who lives a mysterious life alone with her "grandpa," who spends his days caretaking an abandoned warehouse and his nights digging in the "dark Dark Middens." There is treasure in the Middens, and I...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Lili Kathey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Gosh, this was beautiful! Complete and utter madness, of course, but nonetheless so incredibly descriptive and... lovely. Tragic and lovely. Heaven Eyes is pure bliss, intervowen with beautifully detailed sceneries, and such innocence. 'Lovely as lovely', as Heaven would call it. Can't help but wonder if how old the characters even were--and what happened to them; this is my reality-conscious self talking. The other part, the dreamer in me, is fine with, as Erin would say, leaving things just li...more

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May 21, 2012 Lori rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s

What a strange little book! I really enjoyed it. I consider it a "smart" juvenile fiction novel because it definitely takes a lot of thought and thinking to truly understand it. I think this would be a great book to use in a classroom to teach literary elements. It uses a LOT of symbolism that teachers could use to spark discussion. This specific edition included a Readers Guide crated by a librarian, and an interview with the author that was very interesting and beneficial in using this book in...more

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Dec 24, 2009 Pumsish rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, translated

ไม่ถูกกะแนวเด็กกำพร้า + หดหู่ เอาซะเลย
หยิบมาอ่านเพราะเข้าใจผิดนึกว่าจะมีแฟนตาซีผสมซะอีก
จะแปลเป็นไทยทำไมว่าเด็กตาทิพย์ เฮเว่นอายส์ คือชื่อ"เด็กพิเศษ"ในเรื่องก็เท่านั้น

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Apr 03, 2013 Anabelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Heaven Eyes is a tightrope walk between reality and unreality. It tips into latter territory the deeper you get and I admit my suspension of disbelief suffered for it. From a technical point of view I enjoyed the way it was written. I liked the characters in a general sort of way too but it was difficult to get a solid grasp of... anything really. I was getting a lot of how Erin feels but I didn't get a clear read on where all the action was taking place.

In a way it's cool because I feel this s...more

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Aug 07, 2011 Neill Smith rated it 5 of 5 stars

Heaven Eyes lives with an old man she calls Grampa in an old abandoned printing factory by the mudflats at the side of the river. Erin and January discover the two of them when they are running away from the orphanage they live in on a raft that founders on the mudflats. It takes a lot of effort and caring to penetrate the story of Heaven Eyes and help to determine who she is and where in the world she fits.

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Jun 17, 2013 Minnie Dreamer rated it 3 of 5 stars

"Ako všetky príbehy, ani tento nemá nijaký skutočný koniec. Pokračuje stále ďalej a ďalej a mieša sa so všetkými ostatnými príbehmi sveta. Toto bola len naša časť z neho. Nemusíte jej veriť. Ale všetko je to pravda."

Ako si mi tam chýbala akákoľvek zápletka. A bolo to divné. Ale zas...neviem, nemôžem povedať, že by som túto knihu zaradila medzi tie, ktoré by ste v živote nemali ani len otvoriť.

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Mar 23, 2011 Sarah Tilatitsky rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 04, 2011 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars

David Almond is an extraordinary children's author...the setting in this book has an 'underworld' feel about it that is intriguing and compelling. I read the book many years ago but remember thinking what a shame that the very people who could probably identify with it most will probably never get to read it... don't miss.... as intriguing for adults as it is for kids....

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Jul 11, 2010 Adrienne Weiss rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a very strange book. All of the characters are suffering from loss or mental illness. In some books that would be a problem but in my opinion the author does a good job of handling the heavy subject matter.The atmosphere in this book is great. The abandoned factories and warehouses really have a sense of loneliness and decay.

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Nov 14, 2012 Tanvi rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm bound to be a little biased since I met David Almond last weekend (!) and instantly went to the library and checked out all the books I could of his. Either way, this is a thoughtfully written book that definitely gets you thinking about the wonders in your world and the uncertainties.

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Jun 19, 2011 Redfox5 rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children, england, fiction, teens

It's a good thing this is a pretty quick read becuase not much happens in the book. It started off well with the kids wanting to run away from the home but I expected something a bit more interesting to happen when they met Heaven eyes. Something more exciting than a crazy Grampa and a boring secret.

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Jun 30, 2011 Cassie marked it as to-read

My teacher recommended this book to me and even though she recommended a lot of books to me, this one kind of stood out. I don't know why, maybe because of the name. Yeah, that is most likely it. So, that's all I will, and all I can say about it at the moment. KAY BYE!

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Jul 04, 2011 Stephanie Benitez rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read this book when I was 11, and it touched me. It made me feel like I mattered. This book is my favorite book of all time, and it has helped me through more than I could have ever guessed. A very good book for awkward, outcasted adolescents like me.

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Mar 02, 2010 Tanya rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was good,tragic but overall worth it. The beginning introduces a tragic life held by not only the 'damaged' children but by their care taker who by all means is living an unfortunate life. The middle around where they find Heaven Eyes(or Anna)is where my attention was withdrawn because it was slowed to little to no action. I guess i can't heavily judge Almound because he was trying to set the scene where a person was creeped out by grandpa, but i was ahead of the game. The ending is de...more

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Jun 16, 2009 Alex rated it 3 of 5 stars

"A strange and mysterious novel about a young girl, seemingly orphaned. The writing style is also mysterious; the author never reveals anything directly. The characters are deep as is the plot. This is a great young adult novel."

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Jun 10, 2010 Alicia added it

Shelves: abuse

Somewhat tragic, three kids from an orphanage in England decide to leave their confines to embark on their own journey to find peace and happiness.

We knew that we could find a tiny corner of the Paradise that we'd all lost.

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Oct 09, 2012 Sarah Crosby rated it 3 of 5 stars

I don't remember much about this. Book, I remember reading it a long time ago. Beginning of high school maybe. All I remember is that I liked it, hence my "liked it" review.

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Apr 07, 2011 Mona rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Heavens Eyes is an amazing book.
Its confusing but in my opinion it was one of the best books I'v ever read.I loved the three main characters; January, Mouse and Erin. When I picked it up from my school Library, I was thinking of an boring adventure book but I was clearly wrong. Heavens eyes is amazing.

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Jul 11, 2010 Holli Ronquillo rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have loved everything I've read so far by David Almond. His prose are like poetry - so beautiful to read. At the same time, he's got an engaging plot. It's great.

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Feb 26, 2010 Patricia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, children-youth

These KIDS are remarkably real. I loved their interaction. The setting was also remarkable. The issues involved also made me think a LOT!! REALLY liked this one!!

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May 09, 2012 Vicki rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen

Orphaned (called damage by their caretaker)children Erin, January & Mouse escape on a raft down river where they encounter a strange old man, Grampa & girl

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Feb 28, 2010 Ricky rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Heaven Eyes is an unusual story, created skilfully and had some interesting concepts. It didn’t live up to Skellig or Kits Wilderness, but worth a read.

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About David Almond

David Almond is a British children's writer who has penned several novels, each one to critical acclaim. He was born and raised in Felling and Newcastle in post-industrial North East England and educated at the University of East Anglia. When he was young, he found his love of writing when some short stories of his were published in a local magazine. He started out as an author of adult fiction be...more

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“We roamed between the angels and the eagles. Bats flickered against the starry sky. Moonlight poured down” — 1 person liked it

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