From the Publisher
"A memorable debut, threaded with twists both wry and scary." - Booklist, starred review
"This is an author to keep an eye on." - School Library Connection
"Shelley creates a lavish tapestry of monsters, bringing together frightening creatures from a range of traditions. Her choice of language is taught and precise, filled with gorgeous metaphors and unexpected plot twists that will keep readers engaged." - Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews
2020-07-01
Born of the union of an old man's last sigh and a baby girl’s first laugh, an imp emerges in the depths of The Hole, a vast and terrifying underground kingdom of fantastical creatures.
Horrified by the sight of the ogre king, Thunderguts, the newly hatched imp—who strangely enough looks human—runs away, assisted by his new gargoyle friends, Wheedle, Bladder, and Spigot. When Daniel, an angel, helps the imp flee from the ogre king’s goblin and troll henchmen, he takes the imp into the human world, to the Kavanagh family’s wake for their grandfather, Samuel. Everyone is struck by how much the imp looks like Samuel as a young man. The family decides to take the imp to their home, and they name him Samuel. Everything in the human world is new to Samuel, and he savors it all completely. However, the day after Samuel’s arrival, baby Beatrice is kidnapped. Devastated, Samuel returns to The Hole to look for her, convinced that her disappearance is his fault and determined to rescue her. Shelley creates a lavish tapestry of monsters, bringing together frightening creatures from a range of traditions. Her choice of language is taut and precise, filled with gorgeous metaphors and unexpected plot twists that will keep readers engaged. Limited physical descriptions point to a White default for human characters.
Evocatively contrasts the strange, unexpected beauty of human life with the macabre, suffocating world of monsters. (Paranormal. 9-14)
