delightfully dark fantasy of childhood horror
358195
The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a delightfully dark fantasy of childhood horror. The writing moved me with it's melancholy and innocence. Neil Gaiman is an imaginative hero.
4292218
Twelve-year-old Molly isn't happy that her mom has remarried, and she's even less thrilled when her new blended family moves to an old converted church far out in the country. The graveyard behind the church frightens Molly, but her new stepsister, 7-year-old Heather, is strangely drawn to it. Molly soon discovers that Heather's imaginary friend, Helen, isn't quite so imaginary. Helen is the ghost of a drowned girl, and she may be leading Heather to the same fate...unless Molly can stop her.

I read this book for the first time when I was 9 or 10, and I probably read it at least 20 times in the 3 or 4 years that followed. I recently read it again as an adult, and I was so happy to discover that a book I loved so much when I was growing up has withstood the test of time. Aside from a few dated references,&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Wait-Till-Helen-Comes/dp/0547028644/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Wait Till Helen Comes</a>&nbsp;feels timeless. It's an inventive, well-told, and eerie ghost story.

Hahn's writing is age-appropriate, but doesn't feel "dumbed down" in the least; the writing is fantastic, actually. Her prose is beguiling, weaving an atmosphere that is rich with detail and rife with tension. You can feel the oppression of a stifling summer day, just as you can feel the chill of an otherworldly presence. As a pre-teen, I remember feeling truly chilled by some of the spookier scenes, and I'm not too proud to admit that some of those scenes still haunt me to this day (in particular, the scene in which Helen trashes Molly's and Michael's rooms and their mother's art studio, as well as the climax at Harper Pond).

What makes this novel such a great one for pre-teens, though, is not necessarily that it's a ghost story. The relationships and issues that Hahn explores in&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Wait-Till-Helen-Comes/dp/0547028644/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Wait Till Helen Comes</a>&nbsp;also lend to its timeless quality: the dynamics of a blended family, the nature of forgiveness and acceptance...great lessons, all wrapped up in a spooky, well-written package.
1930773
Tremendous book of fun fantasy for all ages but careful because it can be scary for young or sensitivity kids.
2156792
This book is not really creepy, as its more about Kaitys family, and the spirit of Christmas. Sure, the creepier parts are slightly unsettling, but not something in the way of real horror. If you're not into horror, don't worry. Im a total chicken when it comes to horror and I liked this book. Admans humour shines through her writing, and this book is a fun quick read. I wouldnt really classify it as for children as there are some things that are meant for an older audience, so don't think of it as just another childrens book.

The plot revolves around Kaity, a young girl dealing with her parents separation and the entrance of her mums new boyfriend. Seriously, I had to facepalm at Kaitys mother sometimes for her decisions. She hasn't known this man for a very long time and she was already allowing him to stay in her home with her two young daughters. Its a bit Honestly, I could see why Kaitys dad was so angry. Her parents relationship is something I wish could have been expanded on more, like the reason behind their separation.

But anyway, the characters are a lot of fun to read. Kaity is a pretty mature ten-year-old, and there were moments when I thought she was older than she actually was. I might have placed her age at about thirteen or fourteen, given her narration. Her relationship with her younger sister, Pippa, is just so sweet. They look out for each other, and shes so caring and responsible for Pippa. Love it! Her relationship with her father was also really cute because he doesnt treat her like a naive little girl (at least for the most part). As for her mother, I wish their relationship had been more fleshed out. But it was a short book, so I understand.

The fantastical elements of the plot were pretty fun. Like I said, nothing super creepy, just more like unsettling. If this were a full-fledged YA book, I could definitely see this book getting darker and scarier. As it is though, it was an interesting fantasy adventure. Admans has a great grasp of character-writing, pacing, and humour, so I really enjoyed reading this book.

Overall: This book gets four stars, because it has great characters, a fun plot thats suspenseful but not over-the-top, and good pacing. Pick this up if you're looking for something quick to read this Christmas season!
2959319
A witch haunts the woods, waiting each year for a sacrifice of a newborn baby to sate her hunger and to buy off her wrath. But perhaps the wrong witch is to blame for the Protectorate's sorrows?

The first few pages into this story convinced me that this was something special. I love dark young people's tales, because it seems like they often have something much more genuine to offer young and old readers alike, especially in terms of wisdom of the heart. This reminded me very much in tone of Neil Gaiman's "The Graveyard Book" in the wistful sorrow of loss, and how we sometimes make our families not of blood, but of the kinship of the heart. It's a story of challenging what you thought you knew, accepting what you cannot change, following your heart home, and how stories that are half forgotten, sometimes have a grain of truth to them.
2919689
Rick Reed has got to be one of the busiest guys working in dark genre fiction right now. 2008, in particular, was a banner year for the dark scribe, with the publication of four novels -- "Deadly Vision", "High Risk", "Orientation", and now "Dead End Street". Someone take this man on a vacation!

With "Dead End Street", Reed enters the burgeoning young adult market. Those familiar with Reed's work - and those acquainted with his colorful blog postings - may at first scrunch their face at the idea and wonder how the oft titillating writer manages to pull this one off. But he does, effectively and suitably for the intended audience.

"Dead End Street" is a delightful haunted house story, framed by an effective use of the story-within-a-story narrative. Peter, Marlene, Erin, Roy, and David are imaginative eighth-graders from a small Ohio River town whose latest idea is the formation of a storytelling club, the Halloween Horror Club. The idea is simple: each member tells the most horrifying tale they can come up with and the scariest wins. The idea is initially knocked by the group, but Peter, who wears coke-bottle glasses and has been the imagination behind many of the group's various clubs over the years, offers a unique twist: the stories will be told at the infamous Tuttle house, an abandoned residence on a wooded dead-end street that was once sight to an unsolved triple homicide.

Despite a few misgivings among the group, the teens' curiosity in the macabre wins out and the club convenes the following week. Peter goes first, with his reimagining of the Tuttle mythos, one in which Paul Tuttle - the teenage son who went missing after the brutal slayings of his parents and young sister - is the victim of demonic possession after watching "The Exorcist."

As each of the teens try to top each preceding story with their own tale of terror, the group begins to suspect that they're not alone in the house. A creaking floorboard here, a mournful cry there, and the teens are suitably spooked as it's revealed that a mysterious interloper watches and listens from the shadows of the house. Has Paul Tuttle returned to the scene of his alleged crimes to claim more victims? Do the ghosts of the Tuttle family haunt the house on the end of Acton Road? When one of their own stumbles into trouble trying to find out just what - or whom - haunts the Tuttle house, the group must summon its courage to save their friend and confront their own fears in the process.

The teens' stories work as short, stand-alone tales within the novel and run the gamut of topics and themes -- twin sisters lost in the snowy woods with a faceless terror, a werewolf dad for whom the full moon brings the ultimate tragic irony, a late-night driver on a road to nowhere, and a horror-obsessed teenage boy who enjoys scaring people (literally) to death. The stories work well here as campfire tales and help to bring insight into Reed's teen cast of characters, even if some of the language choices border on precocious at times ("pince-nez glasses" or "The evening was placid.").

Reed has proven himself time and time again at crafting solid stories in which the suspense ratchets up exponentially with each passing chapter. "Dead End Street", even within the confines of its YA limitations, is no exception. The relatively short novel builds to an action-packed finale in which the teens run afoul of the house's mysterious inhabitant, with Reed twisting and turning the story line just enough so that the reader is kept enjoyably off balance and surprised along the way.

Void of profanity and sexual content but brimming with just enough violence to appeal to teens without putting vigilant parents off, "Dead End Street" is a perfect YA horror experience for young readers. Adults familiar with Reed's work and wanting to relive the nostalgia of their "Goosebumps" or Phyllis Whitney early reading experiences might also want to visit the Tuttle house.
4829838
I read this in two sittings, as I found it weirdly comforting. It is a dark fantasy with chills and creepiness galore, but reminded me of the first times I fell in love with fantasy worlds - with Middle Earth, Narnia, Prydain and Pern.

The characters aren't quite as memorable for me (although still engaging), but the rich glorious strangeness of Faerie reads true.

Ethan is a good narrator, even though I wanted to rap him on the head sometimes for being dense. But as he: 1. Has been through a lot and 2. Is a moody teenager, I can give him a break. He wasn't unrealistic.

This book is my introduction to the series, and I do plan on getting my hands on the rest. This is actually book five, or the first in a new trilogy (I'm not clear which it is). I didn't feel lost at all as everything is easy to follow here, but I did feel like everyone else knew each other (which they did) and I didn't.

Kenzie comes across as a bit brash, but I'd guessed her secret long before she admitted it, and because of her deal, she gets a pass from me too.

The real beauty in Iron Prince is the immersion in the fanastical. I was gripped by the simple snares of the deadly thorn bush. It was enchanting seeing the steampunkish beauty of the Iron Realm. I loved the cat, and want to hang glide with dragonflies. I want to see more Puck.

And the "bad guys" really are creepy. You get to understand things aren't as black and white as we think, by the end. And I love that our hero, with no magical skills of his own, brings enough badassery to make immortals think twice before messing with him.
4908259
The Graveyard Book sucked me in from the moment I opened the first page and saw those amazing illustrations.  I sorely miss the illustrations that used to pepper mid-grade novels. I remember as a kid eagerly reading to the next picture, and then the next...then publishers cut these, and we were mostly left with novels that were solid words. But the illustrations in Gaiman's book pull you in, wrap around the pages, and add to the wonderful mood. Bravo!

The story, though, is what completely entranced me. Gaiman does an amazing job of saying just enough to creep the reader out. For instance, saying a knife was "wet" instead of describing blood. That really engages your mind.  Starting with the most gruesome and terrifying of beginnings ripped from our own nightmares, the author quickly captures our sympathy for Bod, the baby that escaped, and embraces the reader in an almost charming world of ghosts who raise the boy separate from the dangers of the world, until the world intrudes again.

This book feels like an instant classic. Not too scary, but shivery enough for kids. And well-crafted for readers of any age to fall in love with.

Highly recommended!

Marie Lamba
author of WHAT I MEANT... (Random House)
OVER MY HEAD (summer 2011)
2771619
Christopher Golden's STRAIGHT ON TIL MORNING is a great blend of fantasy, horror, suspense while also being a coming-of-age tale. Here, you have a group of kids with big dreams and high hopes who, during one very strange summer, will be faced with the oddest and most terrifying things.
Kevin has been in love with the very same girl forever. But just as he's about to confess his love to her, she meets a guy named Peter. Pete is five years older than she is and, from the get-go, Kevin doesn't like the guy. Strange things happen everytime Pete and his friends are around. Things none of them can explain. Things so strange and fantastic that they cannot be real.
But real they are. And soon enough, Pete and his friends kidnap Nikky. It is up to Kevin, his brother Jesse and two of their friends to go save her in a world very far from this one.
The novel starts as a very straight forward coming-of-age tale. But halfway through the book, the story becomes horror/fantasy, when Kevin and his group have to enter a Neverland-like world in order to save Nikky.
Golden takes the Peter Pan story and toys with it to fit his needs. And the result is quite impressive. This is one of the most imaginative novel I've read in years. Unfortunately, the book does get a little out of hand in its last fifty pages, where the climax becomes a little too cahotic to really makes sense. But that aside, STRAIGHT ON TIL MORNING is a wonderful mix of fantasy and horror and should please fans of both genres. Golden is one of the most original voice in horror fiction, and this book should not be missed.
3371372
Coraline is a kid. That obvious truth struck me many times throughout this amazing little gem by Neil Gaiman of "American Gods" fame. Not to blunt my praise for Gaiman's creative ability, but he MUST have drawn on his parenting experiences for "Coraline." The titular character is equal parts charmingly honest and frusteratingly picky, she styles herself as independent but her world is bordered by the arms of her parents. People will inevitably compare this book to "Alice and Wonderland," but Coraline (not Caroline, mind you) is not a moralizing avatar of the author. She is a self-styled explorer that any kid (boy or girl) could easily get behind.

That's not to say that Gaiman's only triumph is creating a single great character. The narrative has a unique way of causing fear that I've honestly never seen before. To all but the most sensitive children "Coraline" is a great spooky tale to tell kids old enough to understand the concept of fiction. (anyone reading Goosebumps or other kid-friendly thrillers) Adults, specifically parents, may feel a different kind of fear as Coraline enters a very twisted version of her own home. It may even be more terrifying to a parent that, at it's heart, "Coraline" is a story about a young girl that is kidnapped by a hostile and even murderous force.

To go into setting and the other plot details would destroy a lot of the suspense that mounts as Coraline explores her new world. It's best that the reader encounters them as Coraline does: brave and horrified. However, it is worth noting that this isn't a story aimed at seeing the child-hero through to adulthood. It's not a innocence-crushing coming of age tale. If anything the journey makes Coraline just a bit more grateful for what she has, and that's a lesson that any kid can take to heart.

If this were just an excellent piece of children's fiction it would easily deserve five stars. As it is a delightful read for any age it should be purchased immeadiately for anyone even slighlty interested in the sort of surreal fairy tale that Gaiman has mastered writing.
310619
I greatly enjoyed the atmospheric, haunting prodigal son tale of pending apocalyptic doom by Rich Hawkins, BLACK STAR BLACK SUN. A perfectly-shaped novella of horror that doesn't come right at you, but lets you sort of settle into things along with the protagonist, receiving small bits of information while also reliving the very human terror of coming back to your roots, and finding that while all things stay the same, the perspective one has of those things varies greatly after long periods of life experience and absence.

The horror of the story is not something that is jumping out of the closet at you, or reaching for your ankle from under the bed, it's a horror that stands in plain sight, watching you slowly squirm and fidget as you try to run away from it and realize that running is quite impossible. As the story progresses and the horror of it approaches, you find yourself looking for a means of escape or sanctuary and, like our hero, find the solution is not as reachable as you'd hoped.

Fans of cosmic horror will love this tale, but it's a broader spectrum than that, and my feeling is anyone who enjoys a richly tapestried yarn of terror will fall for this wonderful story.  When you choose to drink the Black Sun potion Hawkins has concocted, you'll find it has hints of Ballingrud and Oliver and Barron, with a very light Lovecraftian finish.

Recommended.
1373332
"Oh, monster's are scared," said Lettie. "That's why they're monsters."

This book was very strange, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It reminded me of a darker, more disturbing version of A Wrinkle in Time (one of my favorite books). Gaiman is extraordinarily creative; numerous times I wondered how he came up with things in this story. What kind of mind must one have to write like this?

I think the best way to describe this book would be as a dream-like, but bordering on nightmarish. Nothing is as it seems, and things don't follow the rules of this world. The nanny is evil, cats grow in fields, birds of prey seek to devour you, and the pond is really a deep ocean. It doesn't make sense, but, it doesn't have to. And trying to force it to make sense destroys the magic and the symbolism.

Some underlying themes that stood out to me: childhood is beautiful and should be cherished, good triumphs over evil, love is the ultimate healing and preserving force in the universe, adulthood is a state of mind more than anything else, just because you can't see something or explain it doesn't mean it's not true, and life is part of a larger picture, an over-arching story that we can't fathom.

I loved his way of describing childhood versus adulthood:

"Adults follow paths. Children explore. Adults are content to walk the same way, hundreds of times, or thousands; perhaps it never occurs to adults to step off the paths, to creep beneath rhododendrons, to find the spaces between fences."

"Grown-ups don't look like grown-ups on the inside either. Outside they're big and thoughtless and they always know what they're doing. Inside they look just like they always have. Like they did when they were your age. The truth is, there aren't any grown-ups. Not one in the whole wide world."

"She really was pretty, for a grown-up, but when you are seven, beauty is an abstraction, not an imperative."

I really enjoyed Gaiman's use of imagery and way of describing deep concepts in simple, beautiful language:

"Memories were waiting on the edge of things, beckoning to me."

"I liked myths. They weren't adult stories and they weren't children's stories. They were better than that. They just were."

For a small book, this novel had some big ideas woven together in creative ways. If you like some deeper, darker themes with your fairy tales sprinkled with a bit of the absurd, this book is for you.
4524639
I came upon this wonderful tome of stories accidentally while searching for a short story by John Collier, just one of the authors included of the seventeen, entitled "Thus I Refute Beelzy," a story that shows that a child's imagination can be a scary, evil place. The tales are remarkably eerie and marvellously unique in their approach to not only ghosts but to the shared demons of all humanity, which are all too close to the mark.  In this lovely marriage of American and English supernaturalism, not only are readers treated to tales by masters such as H. P. Lovecraft, Robert Bloch, Manly Wade Wellman, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Henry James, H. G. Wells, and Montegue Rhodes James, among others, but also to the pithy introductions of the tales by accomplished editor Henry Mazzeo and troubling images from the magical, evil pen of the late, great Edward Gorey. You needn't be a die-hard fan of the genre of spooks and bumps-in-the-night to appreciate Hauntings, just a lover of language, an admirer of the craft of fiction, and a guest of this planet so replete with anger, dismay, despair, longing, and insecurity. The tales Mazzeo has so expertly selected pluck the aforementioned life-experiences like the strings of a lute and the resonation is nothing short of haunting.
2704379
I'm not sure if you need a childhood enriched with Scooby-Doo to truly enjoy this book or not, but as someone who grew up watching Scooby-Doo, this book was just fun---an adult-worthy satisfying dose of childhood nostalgia, but of course, much darker. I was worried that the author would literally just change the names and not really create something new, and though he is clearly inspired by Mystery Inc., he's made his own interesting, well developed characters. There are plenty of satisfying nods to Mystery Inc. also, which were fun to notice while reading. There are several plot twists, which kept me on my toes, but I still ended up figuring out the villain long before the characters. However, overall, the book is a nice mixture of nostalgia, dark humor, and horror. I'm glad that I read it.
2660268
Alex and her sister Sarah live in our world, but they are not human. They are weirn, like witches. Sarah is the Night Keeper at the Nightschool, where teenage demons, vampires, weirn, and more attend classes. Despite her powers, though, Alex doesn't attend. A problem she won't discuss keeps Alex cut off from her own kind and studying at home. When Sarah disappears--and Alex is the only one who can remember that she even existed--Alex must venture out into both the real world and the world of the Nightschool. But not knowing who to trust might get Alex into serious danger as a group of determined Hunters is circling ever closer to the students of the Nightschool.

The first two volumes of Chmakova's urban fantasy are the beginning of a unique creation that should instantly capture the attention of paranormal fiction fans. Even by the end of the second volume, readers won't be sure exactly who is a hero and who is a villain. It's quite possible that none of the characters is really completely one or the other, which makes the story both more realistic and more exciting. One nice touch is that Chmakova doesn't present or drop characters for no reason. Three characters who are introduced briefly in the first volume, and who seem simply to be comic fodder, are brought back in the second volume and prove important to Alex's story. Alex herself is still an unknown by the end of volume two. She's sweet and likeable, but readers are given plenty of hints that she hides a dark and extremely dangerous secret. Both the Hunters and the demons of the Nightschool seem to have reasons for their behavior, though readers aren't given many of those reasons this early on in the series, so they are left intriguingly unsure of where Chmakova's tale is heading.

Chmakova's artistic abilities are in full view here as she effortlessly combines Eastern and Western comic art techniques into her own, original storytelling style. She creates characters who are all gracefully beautiful, but who stand out from each other at the same time. Using both horror and humor to tell her tale, she is careful to not muddy the two by blending them too much, so the scary scenes and action scenes are as heart-pounding as they should be and the comedic sections are laugh-out-loud funny. She can use manga elements like chibi to great effect, but her work doesn't have the feel of trying to be any particular style. This originality makes her art ring true in the eyes of readers. One small weakness is a tendency to use emoticons in her text bubbles. This is unnecessary since her characters are more than capable of conveying emotion through their faces and bodies. But as her story builds, the emoticons begin to drop off and readers become too engaged in the tale to notice them anyway.

Libraries trying to keep up with the insatiable demand for paranormal fiction should buy this series immediately. With Chmakova's talent and the strong binding and attractive covers that Yen Press added, this series should sell itself. The teen rating is appropriate, as there is no sex and only a little language and violence. The only problem is that readers will soon be clamoring for the next volumes!
-- Snow Wildsmith
4671056
You may have read before how very much I love the work of Mary Borsellino. Well, heres some more of that love heading your way.

Borsellinos latest is a shortish YA fantasy called Ruby Coral Carnelian. The title is a reference to this worlds wizards, the kind of magic they use and their willingness (and success) in using blood magic.

The story sees Del, assistant to the Ruby Warlock, discovering the wizard intends to sell him on to another wizard and realizing that this isn't going to end well. As Del plans to run, he discovers that one of the Ruby Warlocks twin step-children, away at boarding school, is in trouble and that the other plans to rescue him. Del ends up helping, and he, Nicholas and Kelsie end up on the run, escaping from powerful people who mean them harm.

So far, so straightforward, and it gets difficult to provide details without also providing spoilers. As always with Borsellinos work, there is more going on than a simple plot explanation can reveal. The characters are flawed yet sympathetic, the story taking some unexpected turns as they learn about themselves and each other.

Ruby Coral Carnelian initially reminded me of my old favourite Diana Wynne Jones. Like many of Joness books, heres a tale that partly explores what happens when kids learn that the adults in their life aren't necessarily dependable, and are possibly even dangerous, and must fend for themselves and grow up at the same time.

Adding texture to this are themes relating to gender identity, concepts of privilege, the assumptions we make, and even notions of disability and wholeness.

In trying to capture the flavour of this book, I told a friend imagine Diana Wynne Jones pencilled the art, but then it was inked by a Vertigo artist.

So thats sort of it. The core of a story that feels as traditional and as sound as a book by the late great Jones, but with its own freshness (and darkness) that explores new territory and reaches different conclusions.

There are many reasons why I think Mary Borsellino is one of the great underappreciated genre writers this country has to offer. The way she combines horror and compassion. Her capacity to create detailed, believable worlds full of cruelty and beauty. Her splendid characterisation. Her queer sensibilities and sure sense of creating people with real flaws and imperfections that are somehow both very real and simply perfect.

Frankly, I know the hyperbole is a lot for a writer to live up to, but also frankly, I have never yet been disappointed by one of her books. I struggle more to tame my praise than to find enough adjectives to add.

If you're not sure you want to tackle Borsellinos longer works like The Wolf House or The Devils Mixtape, give Ruby Coral Carnelian a try to see if what makes me pretty much get a literary boner speaks to you too.
4758007
From the depths of the little-explored world of new writers comes this pure little gem that reminds us just how a children's fantasy should be.  I'm sorry, but we do not see writing and story-telling like this much anymore.  Since the phenomenon of "Harry Potter" children's fantasy has experienced a growth that is in many cases nothing more than a tumor, but "Fablehaven" proves itself a instant classic.

The story begins the adventures of Kendra and Seth, a sister and brother sent to vacation at their mysterious grandfather's home.  Each moment they spend their increases in mystery until the truth is revealed:  Dear old grandpa is the caretaker of a preserve that protects what is considered to be the unreal: fairies, goblins, unicorns, etc.

Brandon Mull's characters takes his writing in stride, allowing his characters to explore and deal with each new challenge that comes along.  He takes care to describe each detail of this world until Fablehaven is a very real and believable place with its own set of rules.

Be warned:  this is not always cutesy.  There is a creative darkness that keeps up the storyline. It's fresh, original, and deeply delicious.  Mull's characters are not always wild and quirky, but they are three-dimensional, real, and delightfully flawed.  Kendra and Seth are people with whom kids can identify, and even adults can remember that uncomfort of the adolescent times.

Not only is this story about the traditional fantasy, it is also an exploration of family and friendship.

"Fablehaven" is a masterpiece in every sense of the word.