The Stars Did Wander Darkling
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4.2 • 5 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
A suspenseful and atmospheric horror set in 1980s Oregon, perfect for fans of Stranger Things, Neil Gaiman, and Margaret Peterson Haddix, from New York Times bestselling author and the Decemberists’ lead singer/songwriter, Colin Meloy.
Maybe Archie Coomes has been watching too many horror movies.
All of a sudden, the most ordinary things have taken on a sinister edge: a penny on a doormat. An odd man in a brown suit under a streetlamp. The persistent sound of an ax chopping in the middle of the night.
He keeps telling himself that this is Seaham, a sleepy seaside town where nothing ever happens. Or at least nothing did, until his dad’s construction company opened up the cliff beneath the old—some say cursed—Langdon place.
Soon, though, he and his friends can’t deny it: more and more of the adults in town are acting strangely. An ancient, long-buried evil has been unleashed upon the community, and it’s up to the kids to stop it before it’s too late. . . .
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this aesthetically eerie novel by Meloy (The Whiz Mob and the Grenadine Kid), set in 1987 Oregon, it's up to a quartet of friends to save their small seaside town when a real estate development awakens a long-buried evil. The plan was to build a resort in place of the long-vacant Langdon House, a Victorian-era legacy of Seaham's founding family—until excavation reveals the nearby promontory to be permeated with holes. Thirteen-year-old Archie Coomes, whose father owns the construction company, is looking forward to a fun summer with friends Athena, Chris, and Oliver, including a much anticipated camping trip. But odd occurrences soon arise: an elderly woman mutters "They shoulda left it hid," local adults act strangely out of character, and Oliver's "unexplained episodes" turn into increasingly vivid visions. All that coupled with the arrival of three poetry-spouting newcomers in old-fashioned suits, and the friends find themselves delving into the town's history and the true nature of the mounting threat. Evoking 1980s adventures such as The Goonies, and referencing horror flicks of various eras via the town's resident sage—owner of a Betamax-only video store—Meloy constructs an oddly ambiguous menace within a nostalgic summertime adventure involving cinematic chase sequences, uncanny occurrences, and psychological unease. Characters cue as white. Ages 8–12.
Customer Reviews
Fantastical nature
A very fantasy book, definitely for older kids. Centered around nature and evil, with children as the saviors. (Review from 10 year old daughter)