Samuel Blink and the Runaway Troll
Also known as The Runaway Troll.
When Troll-Son runs away from home, he decides to leave the Shadow Forest behind and move in with his idol, Samuel Blink. Samuel isn’t thrilled with the idea of hiding a runaway troll, especially one who copies everything he does, even (ugh!) using his toothbrush. But should Samuel return Troll-Son to the Shadow Forest? After all, he’s running from something... what danger still lurks there?
This engaging adventure showcases Matt Haig’s wry sense of humor, drawing readers deeper into the imaginative world introduced in Samuel Blink and the Forbidden Forest.
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Matt Haig
Matt Haig doesn’t just write stories—he opens doors. Sometimes to alternate realities, sometimes to the quiet corners of the mind, but always to something profoundly human. Whether through the time-slipping wonder of The Midnight Library, the melancholic wisdom of How to Stop Time, or the raw vulnerability in Reasons to Stay Alive, his work pulses with the question: what does it mean to be alive—and how do we bear it?
His writing walks the delicate line between the real and the surreal, where fantasy isn’t escapism but a lens to look inward. In Haig’s world, time travel becomes a metaphor for regret, parallel lives explore mental health with empathy, and even the darkest moments are treated with a tender kind of defiance. His prose is deceptively simple—accessible yet poetic, the kind that leaves quiet echoes long after the final page.
Samuel Blink
Samuel Blink consists of two books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.

