The Darkling [Hardcover]

Charles Butler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1998

As her father seems to be getting his life together two years after her mother's death, fifteen-year-old Petra has a strange encounter with an eccentric old recluse that somehow links her father and her to a tragic past love affair.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A clever, self-sufficient first-person narrator gives this debut British ghost story a boost, but not enough to redeem the disorienting elements of the plot. To 15-year-old Petra, "The Darkling," a face-like shadow on her bedroom wall, has always appeared menacing. When an ancient, dying man gives her presents because she reminds him of a lost love, Petra's fears become real. Old Mr. Century passes away and speaks to her through the Darkling. He then takes possession of her widower father and alternately attacks her and pleads with her to return his affections. The promise of the premise is never fully achieved: readers never learn the contents of a mysterious bottle given her by Mr. Century (which appears to be the catalyst for the strange changes in her father), what the old man's connection is to her father's insidious employer nor why the spell over her father finally breaks. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-10AThe Darkling is what 15-year-old Petra McCoy has always called the shadow cast on her bedroom ceiling by an odd-shaped tree branch. Life has not been kind to Petra-her mother died two years earlier and her kind but ineffectual father is unable to hold a steady job. Things go from bad to worse when her paper route takes her to Century Hall, the home of 102-year-old Edmund Century. He sees a resemblance in Petra to his long-dead fianc?e, Eurydice Tremain, and starts sending her mysterious presents, but dies just days after they meet. Soon after his death, the Darkling is seemingly transformed from a shadow to a malevolent spirit that haunts the teen's days as well as her nights. Is her father really losing his tentative grasp on reality at last, or is the Darkling/Edmund taking over his body in its yearning to be near Petra/Eurydice? This is a moody but murky story with more competing elements and loose ends than it has room to explore. Petra's father's transformation and downfall are the main story, but her best friend's brother's change from geek to the love of her life, her hatred of her father's former co-worker and current employer (with elements of possible sexual abuse hinted at), and his sudden interest in turning Century Hall into a hotel could each become novels in themselves, as could the long-ago romance of Edmund and Eurydice. This is a fast-moving British gothic with elements of YA problem novel added-an additional purchase where the genre is popular.ASusan L. Rogers, Chestnut Hill Academy, PA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (April 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689817967
• ISBN-13: 978-0689817960
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,832,813 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Darkling, November 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Darkling (Hardcover)

The tree outside Petra's window makes strange shadows on her ceiling. This "darkling" has always haunted Petra's nights, but her simple sing-song spell kept her fears at bay. When Mr.Century dies, the darkling invades Petra's home. Somehow, Mr.Century is linked to Petra. If she doesn't break away, the darkling will fill her head with someone else's memories. In this eerie romance-thriller, twists and turns keep you guessing 'til the end.