The Golden Compass is the story of Lyra Belacqua, an orphan growing up under the care of the staff of Jordan College, Oxford in a strange, 19th-century-esque world where humans have companions called daemons (a thing sort of like a witch’s familiar). Despite the best efforts of the scholars, the stubborn Lyra spends as much time as possible with the street kids, and the children of the gyptians, just being a mischievous child. Jordan is open to her, but for one place: the Retiring room. So Lyra does what any child would do, sneaks in and pokes around. As she is doing so, she spies the Master of the college in his plot to poison her Uncle Asriel. She and her daemon Pantalaimon argue what to do, but Uncle Asriel arrives, and sweeps up the poisoned Tokay before they can come to an agreement. Lyra pops out of the wardrobe and knocks the glass out of Asriel’s hand. In thanks, he berates her, but agrees not to expose her trespass. As Asriel’s colleagues arrive, she and Pan hide, and witness their first glimpse of what is going on in the mysterious north, and something about “Dust” and a city in the Northern Lights. She’s fired up to go north anyway she can, meanwhile, her friends start disappearing, and rumors spread of the ominous “Gobblers”; so Lyra and her friend Roger make a deal that they’ll come find one another if they are stolen by the Gobblers. But soon, life hands her another option than Jordan. The charming and mysterious Mrs. Coulter arrives and sweeps Lyra away to give her a glimpse of life as a Lady. Before Lyra leaves Jordan, however, she is taken aside by the Master, and given the last remaining Alethiometer (a truth meter), and a warning not to give the Alethiometer to Mrs. Coulter, once admitting he doesn’t trust Mrs. Coulter. But Lyra’s got more important things on her mind, for she hasn’t seen Roger in a little while and is worried; further, rumors are that Lord Asriel has been taken prisoner somewhere in his trek to the north. But for the question of Roger’s disappearance, none of this really worries Lyra, for she is going north, and is hopeful of seeing the fabled armored bears!

Happy, yet wary of Mrs. Coulter she settles in with the elegant lady to learn what she can, even if Mrs. Coulter, and her daemon, a mean golden monkey, make she and Pan uneasy. Then she learns the truth about Mrs. Coulter—she’s in charge of the Gobblers, and not only that, wants the Alethiometer and knows Lyra has it. In fear, Lyra flees, is chased, and but for a gnarly band of ruffians—the gyptians—would be caught. She is taken in by the gyptians, and Ma Costa, and her journey north to help them save their children begins. Along the way, she’ll meet a Texian balloonist, witches, and the endearing armored bears; but she’ll discover more than she ever expected to, and the Gobblers will be even more sinister than she knew. What happens to Lyra, Pan, Roger, and Lord Asriel? You’ll have to read to find out!

It’s hard to give a good sense of the totality of The Golden Compass in this short space; yes, there is some meat to the controversy here, in the Gobblers and what they do; yes Pullman uses terminology destined to get a rise out of people, but as a rousing fantasy tale, laden with intrigue, mystery, and adventure, it pulls out all the stops, and passes with flying colors. I adored this story, and all its twists and turns, and the intriguing language and characters made me love it all the more. That said, I’m convinced they marketed it wrong, for I couldn’t exactly see why it’s classified a YA novel other than Lyra’s age. There’s so much depth here that a child might not get, and if they do? So what? Good for them. They learned something—hopefully how to keep an open mind. So what is it about the controversial angles this novel takes? They are there, of course, but to the "Devil under every bed" faction that's been harping the book's “evilness”, I say Bah! They've blown it, I’m convinced, way out of proportion; if they even bothered to read it at all, they’d see that. Having read it, I say The Golden Compass is a great story, no matter on what side of the religious issue you stand. To read is good, so do so with an open mind, and you’ll understand, and no doubt fall in love with, this fantastic story Mr. Pullman has created.

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