The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
This book will easily land in my 2006 top ten list! This deeply moving coming-of-age novel has everything - horror, fantasy, and tragedy. When twelve-year-old David's mother dies, his father quickly remarries and another child is born. David feels betrayed, alone, and rejected. He is angry at his father, his step-mother, and his new half-brother. In his new house, the books begin whispering to him, and soon he is transported into a dangerous fantasy world populated with heroes and monsters. Through exciting adventures and narrow escapes, David matures, all leading to the point where he must face his greatest threat. Connolly's world is fascinating - an integration of familiar fairy tales with grotesque and terrifying horror stories. In the end, David must conquer his childhood fears, his immature hatred and jealousies toward his father, step-mother, and half-brother, in order to survive. One of the final tactics that the Crooked Man uses to tempt him is to paint a brutal picture of life in the real world - a life full of petty betrayals, pain, violence, loss, and death: "Those whom you care about - lovers, children - will fall by the wayside, and your love will not be enough to save them" (318). Though the Crooked Man is full of lies, this is not one of them. Life is "filled with great grief as well as great happiness, with suffering and regret as well as triumphs and contentment" (335). However, this truth must not lead one to live in fear, anger, or jealousy. The ending had me in tears! Great book!