NICOLA MORGAN

"An astonishing novel, which I read in one sitting stretching deep into one night. It is beautifully observed and ingeniously plotted...."
Paul Augarde, Augarde Screen Productions

"A brilliant adaptation of the Faustian legend. Nicola Morgan is a fresh and original voice ...."
The Bookseller

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To give you a taste, here is how this strange book begins:

Mondays are red. Sadness has an empty blue smell. And music can taste of anything from banana purée to bat’s pee. That’s what I need to explain, starting with the day it all began, the day I woke up in a hospital bed with a kaleidoscope in my head. I discovered later that I had almost died from meningitis but I remember nothing about that bit. My first memory is the dizzy waking up part and my soggy muddled head. My second memory is how, bit by bit, I began to realise how much my world had changed.

Luke finds that his world has changed in three ways, as he wakes from a coma after meningitis. First, he has synaesthesia. Second, he has a weakness in his leg, disastrous for someone who was such a brilliant runner. And third, he discovers that synaesthesia gives him endless power. Even the power to fly.

Guiding Luke through his new world is Dreeg, who dwells entirely in Luke’s brain. Dreeg’s appearance changes as Luke’s feelings about him move between fascination and horror. Luke soon discovers that power has devastating costs - will he be tempted to sell his soul to pay for the power to fly, to create anything he wants, to punish his sister for .. but no, you need to read the book to discover the reasons for the problems between Luke and his sister. And who is the mysterious deaf girl, Seraphina, with biscuit skin and hair as long as the sound of honey? Who ill Luke have to lose - for ever?

Q: What is Mondays are Red really about?
A: Temptation and power. A 19th century politician, Lord Acton, said, ’Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.’ Luke becomes corrupted by absolute power and the only way he can save the people he loves, and his own soul, is to give up his power - if it’s not too late. It’s also about guilt and how to pay for something you have done wrong. Finally, it is about the power of language.

Luke makes a pact with the devil, though he may not realise it at the time. After all, he doesn’t know then that Dreeg represents the devil. Luke sells his soul. When you sell your soul, you are saying that you don’t care whether you are good or evil, as long as you can have what you want.

Q: Why do you use words in unusual ways?
A: Because I don’t like doing things in usual ways! I like to stretch the meanings and uses of words. For example, I often use the ’wrong’ part of speech - a noun instead of an adjective, or an adjective for adverb. I like to jab your attention, to make you sit up and think.

If you want to see what I mean, click here.

If you want to find out about synaesthesia, click here.

 

Main reviews
I was lucky enough to get lots of positive reviews of Mondays are Red  -  just a few are here. Scroll to the bottom for some selected reviews by teenagers.

The Bookseller

’This first novel will gain attention because of the striking style. A young boy recovering in hospital from meningitis is affected by a neurological condition that gives him acute sensitivity to sounds and colours. The kaleidoscope in his head produces a dazzling succession of images across the page. ... This is a brilliant adaptation of the Faustian legend. Luke’s words produce an almost physical response - when he talks about Tuesday being like apricot, you can taste the fruit and the temptation. The occasional flowery passages do not detract from the pace and excitement of this unusual story, which builds to a gripping climax. Nicola Morgan is a fresh and original voice for this age group and a strong jacket should ensure the book gets the attention it deserves.’

The Guardian (Book of the Week)
’When Luke regains consciousness following a desperate illness, he is not as he was. This new consciousness is full-on, colour- and smell-drenched - he is experiencing the condition synaesthesia. Mondays are red. There is fabulous beauty but there is also ugliness, which Luke realises reflects his inner thoughts and feelings. And what is real in this world where everything is so much more than it was before? The challenge for the author is to recreate Luke’s heightened perceptions and experiences through words alone and she does so with tremendous skill and style. An outstanding novel that rewards rereading.’

The Sunday Herald

’Nicola Morgan’s Mondays are Red inhabits a less familiar psychological landscape. Unless, of course, you are somebody who experiences synaesthesia. If you are, you will empathise with Luke, who, recovering from a desperate illness, discovers that his interaction with the world around him is now dramatically different. His life is at times overwhelmed by sensory perception, yet anchored by such familiar preoccupations as sibling tension and adolescent love. This is a stunning, extraordinary debut.’

The Scotsman

For the full text of Michael Thorn’s review, click here .

’.extremely impressive debut.’

The Sunday Telegraph

In this round-up of recent books, Dinah Hall refers to Mondays are Red as’oddly brilliant’.

The Observer 

Kit Spring features Mondays are Red in the Observer teen fiction ’Best 0f 2002’, which can be found here

The Independent  by Nicholas Tucker

’Nicola Morgan also writes about dangerous adventures in Mondays are Red. But mostly these happen inside the head of Luke, who is recovering from meningitis. He now suffers from synaesthesia - when the senses become confused. More sinister is Dreeg, who takes up residence in Luke’s troubled brain and then urges him to hate others. The better side of Luke creates more positive characters, with everything coming to a climax when something evil is about to happen to his detestable sister. This is a novel to brood over, written by a new and original talent.’

West Sussex libraries (Recommended reads)

’Luke survives meningitis only to discover that his whole world has changed,. His senses have become jumbled - he can taste music and smell feelings. A spirit who tries to use Luke’s gift for evil possesses him. The reviewer said she couldn’t put it down. Highly recommended.’

Amazon autumn round-up for teenagers

’Adversity can often inspire great literature and Nicola Morgan’s Mondays are Red is a case in point. All novels seek to affect the way we view the world, but this extraordinary story of Luke, who has synaesthesia, has an entirely original perspective. Luke also has to contend with a leg injury, which is preventing him from pursuing his running. Guiding him is Dreeg, a being that exists only in his head, whose appearance changes according to Luke’s feelings. Rather than using synaesthesia as an ’issue’, this remarkable novel describes our world in new language, and creates a reality in which the deaf girl, Seraphina, can have ’biscuit skin and hair as long as the sound of honey.’

Writers’ News (extract) by Narinder Dhami

’This is an interesting and beautifully written first novel.’

Books magazine

’A chilling modern take on the Faust story by a stunning new literary talent. Children can join Luke on his odyssey to regain his health after a devastating illness. A really unusual children’s book.’

Cool-reads website (www.cool-reads.co.uk)

Click here to go straight to the review on this website, run by teenage readers. They gave Mondays are Red a five-star review.

Reading Matters website (www.readingmatters.co.uk)

Click here to go straight to the review on this website, which helps young people choose the books they would like to read.

Children’s Bookcase website (www.thechildrensbookcase.com)

Click here to go straight to the review on this website, another great site for choosing books.

Reader Reviews

Kereny R "Everyone should read this right now! This is one of the best books I have ever read. It’s full of imagery, fantasy, colours. My favourite character is without a doubt Seraphina, a sweet girl with a cinnamon cake smell."

Bryony L, Scotland  "The story of Mondays are Red is complex, yet enthralling ... The opening paragraph is not what you would usually expect from a book, and that is part of the reason it immediately grabs your attention. By using such phrases as ’sadness has an empty blue smell’ and ’music can taste of anything’ it makes it different from many other books. Books where the main character has an illness, especially one like synaesthesia, in my experience are not very common. The main character having an illness makes the book a lot more interesting to read.

"The story builds up in layers, gaining suspense with every chapter. The way that things are described using the senses in a completely different way makes the book much more vivid, and makes ... you feel as if you are there.

"Mondays are Red is an extraordinary and enthralling book. It’s an imaginative and unusual story, giving suspense and getting better with every page you turn. It’s an insight into how life can be, could be if you had synaesthesia. I enjoyed this book immensly and think it is extremely enjoyable."

Brooke, 14, California, USA  "Mondays Are Red is an absolutely amazing read. It sweeps you off your feet and takes you away into a world of logic as well as imagination and good as well as evil. If you enjoy reading anything that will challenge your mid a bit and make you think, Mondays Are Red is definitely for you."

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