About This Book
Reach for this book when your middle grader feels like a social outsider or is struggling with the emotional weight of a parent's health crisis. It offers a high-stakes, gothic escape that validates feelings of isolation by placing them in a world where being different is the norm. Jonathan Starling's journey into the hidden, Victorian nightmare-world of Darkside is a metaphor for navigating a reality that feels suddenly unrecognizable and dangerous. While the setting is spooky and filled with classic monsters like werewolves and vampires, the core of the story is about a boy discovering his own resilience and agency when his domestic life in Lightside falls apart. It is a thrilling, dark adventure that encourages perseverance through fear, making it ideal for readers aged 10 to 14 who enjoy a bit of grit in their fantasy.
