Pictures in the Dark

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

An amateur photographer discovers that a schoolmate with an abusive father can turn himself into an otter. "With its intricate construction and its poignantly recognizable characters, this thought-provoking story will linger long in the reader's mind," said PW in a starred review. Ages 10-14. (July)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

From the author of Wolf and Chartbreaker comes a spellbinding novel of emotional suspense, spiked with a highly British sort of magical realism. A chain of coincidences leads happy-go-lucky aspiring photographer Charlie Willcox into an edgy friendship with fellow students Jennifer Luttrell and her peculiar younger brother Peter, whose eccentricities have earned him the enmity of his schoolmates. Charlie soon realizes that the Luttrell children are each in their own way victims of their father's near-maniacal obsession with control. While Jennifer seeks to stave off their father's rages by solving problems before they occur, Peter--awkward and accident-prone--has developed an eerier defense: he transforms himself into a creature that embodies all the qualities his family fears. When matters at home and at school come to an ugly pass for Peter, Charlie is forced to step in. Adding still more depth to an already persuasive tale, Charlie's insight into the Luttrell family expands in tandem with his perception of himself as an artist and an individual. With its intricate construction and its poignantly recognizable characters, this thought-provoking story will linger long in the reader's mind. Ages 12-up. (Oct.)

Children's Literature - Rebecca Joseph

This gripping suspense novel describes the emotional awakening of Charlie Wilcox who is an avid member of his school's photography club. One night Charlie photographs a mysterious presence in the local river. The presence may be an otter but there are no more wild otters in his part of England. As Charlie's exploration of the river expands, so does his relationship with his quiet classmate, Jenny, and her unusual younger brother, Peter, who is tormented by Charlie's schoolmates because they believe he causes evil things to happen with his "evil eye." The closer Charlie comes to discovering whether there really is an otter in the river, the closer that he comes to discovering a horrible secret in Jenny and Peter's family. This novel is part mystery, part supernatural, and totally fascinating.