"This book left me breathless!" - R.L. Stine, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Goosebumps and Fear Street
"Move over, Stranger Things. . . The Darkdeep will pull you into an irresistibly eerie world beyond your wildest dreams—and nightmares." - Melissa de la Cruz, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Descendants series
"A truly spectacular adventure." - Soman Chainani, New York Times bestselling author of THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL
"I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough." - Alexandra Bracken, New York Times bestselling author of THE DARKEST MINDS
"The most fun I've had while being deeply terrified." - Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of ARU SHAH AND THE END OF TIME
"A delicious, rollicking adventure." - Tahereh Mafi, New York Times bestselling author of FURTHERMORE
"Fast-paced, thrilling, and full of mystery—The Darkdeep will keep readers at the edge of their seats!" - Jennifer A. Nielsen, New York Times bestselling author of THE FALSE PRINCE
"[A]n imaginative and ultimately uplifting narrative." - Booklist
"[P]erfect for reluctant readers who appreciate things that go bump in the night." - Publishers Weekly
"Delivering plenty of middle-school shivers, . . . the terror of the figments is leavened with alternating bits of humor and pathos, and the ensemble cast is differentiated by motive and temperament, all of which augurs well for readerly interest in future adventures." - BCCB
"Swiftly paced and peppered with wit, this darkly entertaining tale is sure to engage horror fans." - School Library Journal
"Thoughtful, poetic chapter endings guide readers new to psychological depth toward meaningful connections between plot events and thematic reflections." - starred review, BCCB on SUMMERLOST
"Condie is at her best . . . grabbing readers’ interest from the first page." - starred review, Publishers Weekly on SUMMERLOST
"Have this on hand for readers who enjoy a sweet, heartfelt story." - School Library Journal on SUMMERLOST
"Reichs truly keeps readers guessing throughout, with twists on early every page." - starred review, Booklist on NEMESIS
"Addictive as a puzzle, moving with breakneck speed, Nemesis had me guessing until the very end. Try to predict what Nemesis is. I dare you." - Victoria Averyard, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author, on NEMESIS
"Hooked readers will be tapping their fingers waiting for the sequel." - starred review, Kirkus Reviews on NEMESIS
"A fierce, unforgettable page-turner." - starred review, Kirkus Reviews on MATCHED
"Reichs builds plots like the Swiss build watches. Nemesis is a fascinating, twisty page-turner that will keep surprising you until its final page." - Ransom Riggs, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author, on NEMESIS
09/01/2018
Gr 5 Up—Collaboration between bestselling authors is bound to produce high expectations, and this mash-up of "Goosebumps"-meets-The Goonies certainly delivers. Still Cove is a mysteriously foggy area just outside the mill town of Timbers. Twelve-year-olds Opal and Nico avoid the place at all costs due to rumors of "the Beast," but after a run-in with bully Logan, the friends are forced to brave the area. What they find is incredible: a mystical water portal that sucks you in and spits you out, bringing your imagination to life—literally. When the "figments" begin to get out of control, what began as a fun game suddenly turns deadly. Nico, Opal, and their friends must find a way to work together to contain the phenomenon they refer to as the Darkdeep. The four friends at the heart of the story have distinctive personalities, with Nico and Opal narrating. The magical aspect of the Darkdeep runs parallel to the fears and worries the characters hold about their lives. Nico's father petitioned to protect an endangered owl species in the woods, resulting in job losses at the town's mill and resentment from the community. Friction between Nico and Logan, the mill owner's son, and Opal, who's family profited from the situation, must be overcome before they can tackle the figments and the Darkdeep. VERDICT Swiftly paced and peppered with wit, this darkly entertaining tale is sure to engage horror fans.—Lauren Jones, Tauranga City Library, NZ
2018-06-11
Four pop-culture-steeped middle schoolers discover a portal to…something off the Washington coast.When Nico falls over a cliff into Still Cove, he surfaces in a cave that leads to an ancient houseboat. After his friends Tyler, Emma, and Opal come to rescue him, they investigate the elaborately furnished, abandoned boat and discover a spiral staircase down to a shadowy, whirling water portal the kids call the Darkdeep. When Emma experimentally touches the water, she is swallowed up, only to be regurgitated minutes later. This strange process releases familiar apparitions, or figments, seemingly plucked from their childhood memories, that all four kids can see. The foursome can't seem to stop jumping through the Darkdeep to see what apparitions they can conjure up, including Smurfs, Godzilla, Minions, an extraterrestrial Visitor, and various other imaginary creatures. Inevitably, these beings take on more solid form, become violent, and, for an unknown reason, leave Still Cove and head for town. These shenanigans play out against a backdrop of the town's economic distress after timber-industry layoffs; subplots include Opal's needy desire for male attention, the enduring enmity of the school bully, and the upcoming radish festival. Too many storylines dilute any sense of intrigue. Characters are identified by salient features—Tyler's dark skin, Opal's long, black hair, Emma's blue eyes—a device that does not disrupt the white default.A weak plot, underdeveloped characters, and the hint of a next book sum up this not-so-deep series opener. (Paranormal suspense. 8-12)
