Review: Clod Makes a Friend by David J. Pedersen

About:

Best Friend Ever?

Bullies love to hate Clod. Not just because he’s bigger, clumsier, and uglier than his classmates - he’s also the only student in his school without magic. In a world where all magic is possible and everyone else is born with great gifts to do amazing things, Clod is alone.

Living with his mum in a broken-down cottage on barely enough, the only thing Clod has to play with is the clay she occasionally brings him. Bleak is an understatement. More than anything, Clod wants a friend. The only way that’s going to happen, is to make one himself.

After an angry visit from the worst of the bullies, his teacher Learned Yugen, Clod’s clay sculpture of a little girl comes to life and introduces herself as Ada. For a clay girl barely the size of his hand, she has more confidence and courage than he knows what to do with. Every adventure she leads him on gets Clod into trouble. She may be the friend he wants, but is she the friend he needs?

After many years, and too many pranks, Yugen becomes convinced that Clod is tainted by the evil slowly infiltrating the Kingdom of Pag. Especially when Ada isn’t the only one Clod can bring to life.

Clod Makes A Friend is a bittersweet fairy tale for all ages from David J. Pedersen, author of the Angst series of fantasy novels.

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My Thoughts:

Clod Makes a Friend is a fantasy tale that has a lot of life lessons inside.  It is not a long story and can be easily read in day. We watch as Clod, who is much loved by his mother, is bullied by not only his classmates but by his teacher as well. Then one day with the clay that his mother brings him, he is able to make Ada, a friend that will stick with him through thick and thin through the rest of his life.

This is a world where a lot of different beings live together and all have some sort of magic, though it seems that Clod and his mother do not. There is also a dark war going on, which I do wish we would have seen more of, but except for a few battle scenes we are only told about the war.

I am not sure whether I would classify this as a kid’s book or an adult book. There were a couple of instances of language that surprised me and the story was at times pretty intense and dark, as there were certainly some very evil creatures. This reads like a fairy tale in that they had morals to teach, oftentimes wrapped up in some darker themes, only with a more modern voice. I would consider this more of a timeless story, something that could be read to children and by adults.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

Meet the Author: 

​David J. Pedersen is a native of Racine, WI who resides in his home town Kansas City, MO. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He has worked in sales, management, retail, video and film production, and IT. David has run 2 marathons, climbed several 14,000 foot mountains and marched in Thee University of Wisconsin Marching Band and written 4 fantasy novels. He is a geek and a fanboy that enjoys carousing, picking on his wife and kids, playing video games, and slowly muddling through his next novel.

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