The Thief of Always: A Fable, by Clive Barker

Havey Wick is your average 10-year-old boy. He is bored with his everyday routine that never seems to change. One day he meets a man named Rictus who tells him that he knows of a place where Harvey will be free of boredom at last. It is called Mr. Hood's Holiday House, where only children are allowed. Every morning is Christmas morning, and every night is Halloween night. The seasons change every day, and the coook can make anything you want. Harvey agrees to go, and meets Wendell, another boy who becomes Harvey's friend. Harvey and Wendell have a lot of fun, but they start to miss their families. They want to go back home to their families. When they get back, they see that almost 4 decades have passed since they left their homes, and their parents are old and dying. Harvey and Wendell decide to go back to Mr. Hood and demand the years he took from them. Will they succeed? The Thief of Always, by Clive Barker, combines horror, fantasy, and wonder all in one book. It has suspense in every chapter with a mysterious plot and unpredictable characters together to create the perfect mystery novel, while adding a hint of Peter Pan like a children's fantasy to spark everyone's imagination. You will not be able to put down the book until you finish. This book is definitely a book to add to your Must-Read list.

-Reviewed by MH, grade 9.