Grade 7 Up–The author of such literary and emotionally provocative young adult novels as Gypsy Davey (1998) and Freewill (2001, both HarperCollins) offers another dark and clever fable. The badly named McLuckies–father and two children–move to a somewhat ramshackle oceanside house, which the neighboring villagers call the Gravedigger's Cottage. Recounted by teenage Sylvia, a story of dead pets and parental distraction unfolds to reveal how psychologically delicate the McLuckies truly are, in spite of their individual protestations that it is the rest of the world, not themselves, that lacks integrity. The protagonist's younger brother, Walter, brings home a weird neighbor child who begins by professing his love for Sylvia and then goads the family members into seeing that they are not the brave crew they have been pretending to be. While character development and plot work well in alternate chapters, they come to a standstill in the interspersed sections, each of which revolves around the presence and eventual death of a family pet. This device becomes not only relentlessly grim but also repetitive, numbing readers' concern for either the animals or their owners. The pun on the house's name is protracted and also becomes overly obvious. The eventual catharsis between father and children is sweet, but those who revel in the dourness of the tale to that point may dismiss the climax as too fairy tale. At the same time, those who search for happy endings may not have the stomach to weather the destruction of small animal life and young egos along the way.–Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public Library, CA
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Gr. 6-9. Fourteen-year-old Sylvia McLuckie has lost many things to death: her mother; the mother of her younger half-brother, Walter; and as readers come to find out, a number of pets. Having moved to a new home at the beach, the family hopes to put the sadness behind them. Instead, they find that their odd little house, known as Gravedigger's Cottage, has a reputation of choosing its own occupants. Strange things happen after the McLuckies move in, including a change in Sylvia's dad, who becomes obsessed about keeping the house safe--especially from a large rat no one else has seen. Lynch likes playing with voice and construction, and he keeps readers continuously off guard, moving the action between the present and the past as he recounts the animal deaths. Lynch's writing is so rich, and his characters so human and true, that readers will want to understand exactly what's happening to them. Unfortunately, the psychological underpinnings of the story are too subtle; perhaps even more disconcerting is the abrupt, unsatisfying ending. The story will engage readers, but they'll be left wanting more. Ilene Cooper
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