Disclosure: I was provided with an advanced copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.
Pre-order now in hardcover from Amazon for only $17.95
(Releases on October 5, 2021)
I found myself ordering more books online from Amazon and other book sites, as well as making weekly pick up and drop off trips to nearby libraries, and on occasion would take them to bookstores to buy stacks of books. Now, their bookcases are overflowing, and we will have to go through them and donate books they no longer read, or want to share with others.
Itching for some new books to read, my girls were excited to find an advanced copy of "The Hideaway" by Pam Sky, which releases on October 5th. This haunting novel for tween/teens is a great read, especially as Halloween nears. Told in two alternating narratives -- one told by Billy McKennna, a boy who runs away from home and ends up in an overgrown graveyard, and the other narrative which fills the reader in on the events that led up to Billy running away, as well as the search for him.
Both of my girls read this 256 pages book in one sitting, as they couldn't put it down. They both agreed that it had just the right amount of eeriness to kept them wanting to ready on and see what happened next. And, the use of black and white illustrations throughout the book added to the haunting feel of the book, which was well written. They were not familiar with this author, but now want to pick up her other book, "Thornhill" to read and enjoy.
I don't want to give away too many spoilers to this book, as I had to read it after hearing my girls rave about it. And, I have to say, I can see this being another award winning book by Pam Smy. It was really good -- such a great page turner that will have you on the edge of your seat wondering if Billy will make it home it home safely, or if he will disappear forever, without a trace. I highly recommend you pre-order this book for your 8-12 year old who loves thrillers or books that carry an eery feel to them.
More about this book:
"The Hideaway combines gripping text and stunning illustration to tell the story of Billy McKenna, a boy who runs away from a difficult situation at home and takes refuge in an overgrown graveyard to deal with his mixed-up emotions. There, Billy meets an elderly man who tends the graves in preparation for All Souls' Eve, and ultimately witnesses the magical events that come to pass on that spooky night.
Interwoven in Billy's supernatural story is the all-too-realistic tale of his mother’s situation at home and the police search for Billy. With themes of family and childhood, separation and reunion, domestic violence and doing the right thing, this is an important and beautiful book for middle graders through adults.
Billy’s story is illustrated throughout with tonal and textured black and white drawings, until the event on All Souls’ Eve, when the text gives way to a series of double page images of the supernatural happening.
The Hideaway is a compelling, exciting and emotional story that will stay with you long after you turn the final page."
“Pam Smy has created a wonderful piece of work in Thornhill. The drawings are full of atmosphere, the words are full of tension and emotion all the more powerful for being so sparingly revealed. . . . A story of friendship and courage and of the power of black-and-white images. I think it’s terrific.” –Philip Pullman, author of the His Dark Materials trilogy."
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About the Author:
Pam Smy studied Illustration at Cambridge School of Art, where she now lectures part-time. Pam has illustrated books by Conan Doyle, Julia Donaldson, and Kathy Henderson, among others. Her first novel, Thornhill, was a critical and commercial success, shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, the UKLA Book Awards, the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2018, and winning the 2018 British Book Design & Production Award for Graphic Novels. She lives in Cambridge, UK.
Disclosure: I was provided with an advanced copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.
I can't wait till my daughter is old enough for these types of books. I always liked Goosebumps and scary stories as a kid.
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