A review by erebus53
The Book of Secrets by Alex Dunne

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

A cool story for Halloween, based in Ireland and with a cast of fae from traditional folklore.
Cat's baby brother is taken by the Sidhe (in a move that rings with flavours of Labyrinth) and she has until dawn to find him and buy him back from the Queen. She had a huge falling out with her childhood best friend from next door, but his little sister has been swapped with a Changeling too, and so they team up with what little knowledge they can glean to try and solve puzzles and riddles and out fox the tricksters and monsters they encounter.

Having just read What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher, it was really cool to see the same sort of night creature mentioned in this story too (as part of Polish folklore). I always love a supernatural story that's been well researched, and apart from my quibble over dates, this one is a good match for Middle Grade readers.

I like the way that personal hopes and fears and growth of the characters are seamlessly incorporated into it, and I'm going to read the second book of the series soon.
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