After my second read through of The Subtle Knife, I am overcome with emotions of nostalgia. I first read this book in seventh grade, when I was just coming to terms with human existence, complex consciousness and spiritual purpose. It would be a lie if I said this book didn’t play a crucial factor in that development; in fact, this whole series, and this book especially, are what sparked my individual spiritual growth as an adolescent.
Coming from a Unitarian Universalist upbringing, I had a lot of dominion over my religious ideals and spiritual path. My youth program was more of an involved religious studies class that showed me the ins and outs of major faiths around the world. From there, I was able to write my own belief statement, mixing and matching key philosophies I identified with from a number of these major religions. Philip Pullman was as big a factor in that belief statement as Lao-Tzu; in fact Pullman’s concept of Dust as seen the His Dark Materials series was included in my identification of core beliefs. As a young teenager enamored with Pullman’s brilliant storytelling ability, I didn’t see any reason why Dust wasn’t the ultimate Truth.
Now I know this all is somewhat unrelated to chapters 6-13 of The Subtle Knife, but give me a second, I’m getting there. Lyra and Will are undeniably changing as this book progresses. We can already see the maturity in Lyra as she chooses not to consult the alethiometer about Will’s father without his permission, and the growing strength in Will as he develops into a seasoned fighter and quickly masters the most powerful weapon in existence. These children are growing up. And at the time I read this book, so was I. If The Subtle Knife and any of Pullman’s novels accomplish anything, it is capturing the true essence of “coming of age” in a fascinatingly spiritual and yet equally entertaining way. Will and Lyra are relatable to any adolescent struggling to find themselves in the world; sure, they’re off traveling between dimensions and fighting a holy war, but don’t we all like to think our own lives are this epic when we’re 13? The significant Biblical allusion aside, I think these books have worth beyond their interpretation of Genesis and their entertaining characters. They have the power to inspire young minds and to change the spiritual fabric of someone’s existence; at least that’s what they were able to do for me. And as far as I’m concerned, what greater purpose can an author achieve than that?
In essence, I am just thankful for the opportunity to revisit this series and remember all the things it taught me as a frightened teenager; I hope that when the day comes, I can share my beloved copies and inspire another young mind with tales of armored bears and a young girl that brings out the best in us all.
Reading Young Adult Literature 
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