The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

David is a young boy, who after losing his mother, has to cope with his father re-marrying, a new brother and a move to a strange house in the countryside. War has broken out in Europe and eventually David becomes withdrawn from his family and real life. He finds himself retreating into the books his mother used to read to him, filled with fairy stories and tales of myth and legend. Suddenly the mysterious ‘Crooked Man’ appears and David becomes sucked into a strange and unfamiliar land filled with many unusual characters.

If you can get past the somewhat gory descriptions in the book, this is a great read, evocative of real old fashioned story-telling. Familiar tales from childhood take a spin on the original. Snow White and the Seven Dwarves are nothing like you remember from childhood! It reminded me so much of the irrational fears we experience as children. I loved the way the writer completely sucked me into the thoughts, feelings and fears of our hero David, as the young boy copes with grief and new beginnings, and learns to find himself in a world that is changing. There is a great twist near the end of the book, which I won’t divulge but it gives it a more sensitive and humanistic edge. A very entertaining read.