The Darkdeep by Ally Condie and Brendan Reichs - ESSENTIAL

The Darkdeep by Ally Condie and Brendan Reichs, 272 pages.  Bloomsbury, October 2018. $17.

Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY:  EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

When Timber’s resident bullies send Nico’s drone off the cliff into perpetually foggy Still Cove, Nico is desperate to get his very expensive drone back.  When he braves the cliff, he falls and his friends follow Opal, who used to be Nico’s friend, over the edge to rescue him.  What they all find, however, is much more mysterious – a hidden island, with a central lake and a decrepit houseboat.  Even weirder, at the bottom of the houseboat is a slowly stirring pool.  When Emma touches it the strangeness factor goes through the roof!  

I don’t think you need to compare this to Stranger Things to get kids excited about this book.  They already like creepy, scary things, so they will be drawn in.  A good alternative to Goosebumps, with much better storytelling and a sequel, I am sure, is on its way.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian