The Bone Snatcher

Gr 6–8—Sophie Seacove lives in a world where Sea Fever has made people terrified of the water and sea monsters fill the ocean. Her parents abandon her to a strange family who live on an island, Catacomb Hill, off the coast. Trapped in a rotting, mysterious house, Sophie learns from the house's caretaker how to keep the sea monsters at bay. At the same time, she tries to devise a way off the island. When the family's nephew arrives and offers her a chance to escape in exchange for a hidden invention of his uncle's, Sophie has to outwit both the crazy family and the mazelike house. Though Sophie has a clear goal (to get away from Catacomb Hill), her actions seem aimless, and the story wavers confusingly between quirky adventure and dark science fiction. She's harassed by the family's psychopathic twin sons, whose purpose, beyond serving as cruel, violent obstacles to her search, is unclear. Readers don't learn enough about Sophie's background to be invested in her efforts or to care about whether she succeeds.