Here There Are Monsters

Gr 9 Up–Skye is 16 years old and is tired of playing childish games with her younger sister, Deirdre. After moving, Skye starts to make new friends and start a new life, while Deirdre lives in the past in her fantasy world, building creatures in the woods. One night, Deirdre disappears from their home and the search for her begins. Then one of Deirdre’s homemade monsters visits Skye and tells her how to get Deirdre back. Can she do it? This book is reminiscent of Katherine Paterson’s Bridge to Terabithia, with much darker undertones. Both Skye and Deirdre are a little difficult to relate to—Deirdre isolates herself, while Skye at first seems indifferent to the fact that her sister is missing. That aside, the action starts right away and quickly draws readers into the story. Teens will be kept guessing what is real and what is imagined by these sisters who couldn’t be more different.