Don’t Let Them Leave (Mike Lucas, Penguin)

In Don’t Let Them Leave, Mike Lucas (What We All Saw) delivers a creepy and suspenseful historical thriller for readers aged 12 and over. The story follows Charlotte, Jack and Emily, whose privileged lives are upended when their parents die and they are sent to live on the mysterious Black Island with a grandmother they never knew existed. Lucas unfolds the mystery through the eyes of 13-year-old Charlotte, the eldest sibling. Though Charlotte anchors the story, Jack and Emily are fully realised characters, with Emily undergoing the most striking transformation as she matures in response to the family’s ordeal. The novel evokes an atmosphere of misfortune a little like Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, yet this tale’s tone is much darker, with supernatural elements more akin to those of Stephen King. Gothic elements, including ominous ravens, also feature, nodding to Edgar Allan Poe while remaining fresh and original. The serpentine plot skilfully and steadily builds tension, claustrophobia and curiosity. Lucas’s vivid characterisation and atmospheric setting make this an absorbing read that will appeal to fans of eerie, page-turning mysteries. Following his award-winning What We All Saw, which was shortlisted for the CBCA Book of the Year award and a Prime Minister’s Literary Award, Lucas again demonstrates his range and versatility. Don’t Let Them Leave confirms Lucas as a distinctive voice in Australian children’s literature and is well-suited to confident middle-grade and early YA readers.

Books+Publishing reviewer: A Kirk is a librarian who cannot and does not want to imagine life without words and books. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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