In the Observer review for The Amber Spyglass, the question was asked "Philip Pullman. Is he the best storyteller ever?" It's a pretty big claim and one that could be debated from here till kingdom come.
On the basis of The Broken Bridge, it's clear he's a superlative writer. The prose is effortless and the book was impossible to put down – the pacing, the suspense, the sheer ability to keep you hooked. What lifts this up so high though is Pullman's ability to understand people, to know what it is to be human. Ginny, our narrator might not be the most reliable in the world, but she's certainly real, her sixteen-year old heart is beating very clearly throughout every page. And all of this in what is still ostensibly a children's book.
To answer the question, he just might be.
Book number: 3
Title: The Broken Bridge
Author: Philip Pullman
Category: Books that have been sat on my bookshelf for too long
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