Creature of the Night »

Acclaimed author KATE THOMPSON is known for the Switchers Trilogy, the Missing Link Trilogy, and, most recently, The Last of the High Kings. She lives on the west coast of Ireland.

A HOUSE WITH A SECRET

An unanswered question: Who is the Creature in the Night?

Bobby lives a reckless life smoking, drinking, and stealing cars in Dublin. So his mother moves thefamily to the country. But Bobby suspects their cottage might not be as quaint as it seems. Teens will be captivated by this spooky novel about the darkness that lurks in forgotten corners and tough teenagers.

VOYA

At fourteen, Bobby has long been committing crimes throughout Dublin with his gang. His young mother overspends on the dole and sporadically notices him and his younger brother Dennis, so when they abruptly move far from Dublin, Bobby is incensed. Neighbors hint of a murdered child and malevolent fairies associated with their rental home, and its previous tenant, Lars, disappeared, leaving his car. Bobby steals and drives the car to Dublin, eventually wrecking it, but police warily accept his sob story. Their landlord, P. J., however, shocks Bobby and his mother by censuring him and demanding repayment in the form of helping on his farm. While working there, Bobby witnesses a loving, functional family that sharply contrasts with his squalor. Meanwhile eerie events and noises are occurring, with Dennis supposedly seeing a tiny woman—wearing Lars's shirt. Curious, Bobby finds and secretly keeps Lars's money; the body's discovery spurs their leaving the trashed rental for Dublin. Bobby anticipates financial grandeur, but calls P.J. after disaster strikes. Bobby's sparse, concise narration is fast-paced and gripping. The novel's harsh language depicts his world of characters as troubled and cruel as their situations. Bobby is shockingly brutal to his mother and similarly careless toward working; he is no quick convert. But his intelligence and conscience eventually and realistically emerge with his turning point when fearing to continue his lifestyle. Thompson creepily broadens the plot with Lars's unexpectedly chilling, albeit far-fetched murder. Bobby's central turmoil will resonate with many, and the ending showing him and Dennis ten years later is especially satisfying. Reviewer:Lisa A. Hazlett