Beautifully moving and breathtakingly original, this is a story of bravery and second chances, for readers aged 9+.
When 12-year-old Eleanor Newton dies in an accident, she finds herself journeying down a mysterious river that takes her to The Underworld. She apprehensively embarks on her "afterlife" at Eventide House, a boarding school of sorts for children who have died.
The Underworld is captivating: always sunny and warm but also fractured. Strange things have been happening to Ellie since she arrived: she knows something isn't right, and she doesn't want to be there. She desperately wants to get back to the world of The Living to meet her new baby brother, even if it means being a ghost.
Can Ellie find a way out of the Underworld? And who - or what - will she be if she does?
The Lovely Dark is another breathtakingly original story from Matthew Fox, author of The Sky Over Rebecca. Set in the modern world, it features themes of life after a pandemic, mental health and grief, all handled with real lightness of touch.
"Fox is a beguiling writer, whose prose cocoons us through the unusual adventures that follow ... [the twist] left this not-so-young reader close to tears" The Telegraph, 5-star review
Publisher: Hachette Children's Group
ISBN: 9781444964745
Number of pages: 272
Weight: 222 g
Dimensions: 196 x 128 x 24 mm
Fox is a beguiling writer, whose prose cocoons us through the unusual adventures that follow ... [the twist] left this not-so-young reader close to tears - The Telegraph, 5-star review
A beautiful, reassuring, exciting, middle grade story of what might happen to us after we die. While it doesn't shy away from the pain of grief, The Lovely Dark isn't nearly as dark as it is lovely. - Tia Fisher, author of Crossing the Line
Wow. Just wow. If you love atmospheric, mysterious middle grade with a magical edge, poetic writing, and a nod to Greek myth, you have to read this. - Claire Fayers, author of The Accidental Pirates
Drawing on Greek myth, particularly the story of Orpheus, Fox's second novel sees 12-year-old Ellie die in an accident and travel to the Underworld. Her struggle to return to the land of the living forms the backbone of this tautly written ... story about friendship and loss. - Financial Times, Best Books of 2023
A beautiful, elegiac story for 10+, based on Greek mythology ... Definitely worth picking up! - Bags of Books, Lewes independent bookshop
This excellent middle grade novel is an imaginative take on the subject of grief. It has an evocative London setting and it's characters are rendered with autonomy, voice and purpose. Matthew Fox has delved deep... More
Eleanor has recently lost her grandmother to Covid but is visited by her ghost who warns her of danger ahead. Despite the signs she wakes up in the afterlife with her friend Justin following a freak accident. They... More
Dying in an accident is only the beginning of the journey for 12-year-old Eleanor Newton. A mysterious boatman takes her to the other world and she starts her "afterlife" at Eventide House. Days at that... More
Please sign in to write a review
Would you like to proceed to the App store to download the Waterstones App?
