"References to historical dates, places and words in old languages are accurate only in the sense of being 'not very'.Ross Welford in his Author's Note to The 1,000-Year-Old BoyIsn't that a promising note to an imaginative story?The 1,000-Year-Old Boy is about Alfie Monk, who has been eleven years old for a thousand years. To some, this may sound fantastic. But Alfie now just wants to grow up. Thanks to two life-pearls, panic and an accident, his cat Buffa and he cannot die naturally. This does not mean that they're immortal; rather, they're biologically immortal, meaning they can be killed. But until then, they do not age unless they can successfully use a second life-pearl.When you live for a thousand years, can you make friends? What happens if you don't age in an era when witches are burnt at the stake? And what about in modern times when you need documents … [Read more...]