Darkwater

Gr 9–11—Impoverished after her grandfather waged a losing bet 15 years earlier, 16-year-old Sarah Trevelyan must scrub latrines to feed her sick father. The Trevelyans' ancestral portraits cover the grim hallways, but Darkwater Hall is now owned by Azrael, the mysteriously youthful man who won the fateful coin toss. He offers Sarah employment in its massive library, and the teen is overjoyed at the chance to learn. Sarah becomes immersed in the dark world until Azrael offers her a deal-the reinstatement of Darkwater Hall to the Trevelyans in exchange for her soul. Helpless, Sarah agrees to his terms. Flash forward 99 years and 11 months to modern-day Darkwater Academy where a hopeful student, 15-year-old Tom, is dogged by bullies and shadowed by the ghost of his dead twin. When Tom is seduced by the un-aged Azrael's offer of a job in the lab, who should reemerge but Sarah Trevelyan, also un-aged and determined to prevent the boy from making the same mistake she did. Fisher does a lot right in this Dickensian tale as she spins a spooky story and portrays a ghastly mansion that readers can just about touch, taste, and smell. Yet the characters fall short, and the break midway through this already short tale to switch perspectives and centuries doesn't help. Allusions to biblical stories may be above readers' heads. A book for those who really love atmospheric tales with literary quality.—Tara Kehoe, Plainsboro Public Library, NJ