The Volniks are a modern Toronto family: Mother Maggie owns an antique shop, father Robert is artistic director of a playhouse, and the kids are Jessup, 10, and his slightly older sister Emily. The family learns they have inherited a distant relation's castle on an island in a Scottish loch; they go over to visit the place, realize they could never live there, and sell it. But among the few things they bring back to Canada unknowingly is the castle's long-time resident, a boggart -- a mostly invisible spirit that lives to create mischief and trickery. A lot of strange things start to happen to the Volniks, from their home, shop and playhouse to Jessup's school hockey practice, and a nosy psychiatrist and TV news crew start to upset their lives almost as much as their mysterious guest. The author of the Dark Is Rising quartet published this story for older kids in 1993. | ||
Plot & Themes Tone of book - humorous or laughable FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy story on current Earth Coming of age Yes Magical Beings/Mental/Magical/Powers Yes magical powers: Is this an adult or child's book? - Kid's book (ages 7-14) Descript. of chases or violence - 10 % planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40 % Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20 % Main Character Identity: - An "It". If magical mental powers: - can change shapes - can fly - Invisibility Main Adversary Identity: - society Setting Earth setting: - 20th century Takes place on Earth? Yes Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death scientific jargon? (SF only) - some scientific explanation How much dialogue? - significantly more descript than dialog |