A review by katreadsalot
The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper

4.0

The story comes together as a series of glimmers, with the backdrop changing and the characters adapting each time Light and Dark reset for a new battle. The action in the story is best described as interplay between two worlds, with Will going through normal Christmastime activities with his family that then become dangerous situations where Will must face the Dark. Time and scenery play a role as well. The Old Ones can move between different centuries, through doors that appear and the haunting music that leads the way. Similarly, the scenery flickers between the Light and the Dark. The snow, wind, and rain come and go as part of the battle between Light and Dark, each one paving the way for the next battle. This makes a story with a reasonably straightforward main theme of good and evil more unique as all of these ‘glimmers’ drive the storyline and the main action. The characters also follow this mold, which can be seen through character shifts throughout the story. Will seems to flicker between being an 11-year-old boy and an “Old One,” who is mature and wise far beyond his 11 years. This makes Will very realistic, as the reader understands the dilemmas that he faces from both the perspective of the boy and of the Old One. The interplay of Light and Dark in the novel is most clearly defined in the character of the Walker/Hawkin . Like Will, the reader is sympathetic and saddened by what he has gone through but knows that his decision to side with the Dark will lead to his downfall. Overall, this structure for the novel adds to what is an interesting and entertaining story.