Stormwalker

Twelve year old Owen and his Dad are coming to terms with life a year after the death of Owen's mother. Or rather, they are not - her ashes remain in an urn on the mantelpiece; Owen's Dad, a published author, has not written a word since she died; home life is a disorganised jumble of takeaways and missed parents' evenings. Owen aches to bring back the Dad he knew and, having accidentally stumbled across a leaflet about 'Artistic Healing', suggests that his Dad should go to the meetings. Reluctantly, Dad agrees and comes back fired up to begin writing again and this is when life becomes very strange indeed for Owen. In the middle of the night, Owen wakes to discover he is in another world, far in the future, and his life, and those of his friends, are in danger from the Darkness. Is there a link between the book his Dad is writing and the strange things that are happening to Owen? This is really a book of two stories, deftly combined. One, the serious, realistic one, deals with grief and family relationships following the premature loss of a loved one. The second, the imaginative fantasy set in the future, is an exciting adventure story of danger and betrayal versus loyalty and courage. Both elements are brought together by Owen's realisation that he is a character in his father's book and by his efforts to keep his Dad motivated to finish the story. Competent, assured young readers will identify with Owen, the schoolboy interested in football and being with his friends. They will enjoy the excitement of his adventures in the other world created by his father. They will get an insight into grief, loss and depression but also into hope, the power of love and the strength of family ties. 320 pages / Ages 10+ / Reviewed by June Hughes, school librarian.

Suggested Reading Age 9+