Rating: Not for me

Reading level: Middle School

(Spoiler alert!) 12-year-old Maggi discovers the secret to where her mother disappeared to 9 years ago. She and her Dad overcome a history of lies as they face a terrible villain in order to try to get the mother back.

Possible concerns:

  • Magic, fairies, trolls, etc. This is a fantasy novel, where the main character discovers she and her father can read characters out of books and into our world, and similarly trade people from our world into the books.
  • Peril. Guns, knives, arson, kidnappings, threats to kill or to injure or torture painfully
  • Bribery, blackmail
  • A missing mother
  • Cursing; the worst I heard was “Damn,” which is used several times. Otherwise, it just says “he cursed.” Also a few references to hell, and “I hope you burn.”
  • Disrespectful to parent. Maggi calls her father by his first name. She disobeys his rules about no candles at bed with books. She also disobeys when a stranger comes and her father tells her to go to bed; she stays up and eavesdrops instead.
  • Lying. The father and daughter both lie to each other several times; for her sometimes with crossed fingers; for him usually motivated to protect her.
  • Idolotry. A book collector’s special library is called her Holy of holies.
  • References to the devil. “The devil himself lives there,” Mo (the father) says human beings invented the devil, and a book collector woman is described as likely to sell her soul to devil for the right book. A martin has horns.
  • Dark mysticism. A “village of the damned” is described as everyone in it having what is called “the evil eye”—one glance and you fall mortally ill.
  • A pledge not to forgive someone.

It is good writing and an engaging story. The father’s commitment to rescuing his wife is endearing, and despite the lying and disobedience the father and daughter have an otherwise good relationship. A gruff book collector learns that people are important. The evil is very dark, and the villain is just horrible, but it is all age-appropriate for middle school.

The mention that the devil was invented by humans is concerning, so unless your kid’s theology is solid, I’m not sure I’d recommend this one.