Middle-schoolers Nico, Tyler, Ella, and Opal discover a hidden island in a forbidden cove that appears uninhabited, but something ancient has awakened knowing their wishes, dreams, and darkest secrets. - (Baker & Taylor)
"This book left me breathless!" --R. L. Stine, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Goosebumps and Fear Street
"Move over, Stranger Things. . . The Darkdeep will pull you into an irresistibly eerie world beyond your wildest dreams--and nightmares." --Melissa de la Cruz, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Descendants series
New York Times bestselling authors Ally Condie and Brendan Reichs team up to co-author this thrilling first book in a darkly suspenseful middle grade series.
Everyone in Timbers knows Still Cove is off-limits, with its creepy Beast sightings and equally terrifying legends. But when a bullying incident sends twelve-year-old Nico Holland over a cliff and into Still Cove's icy waters, friends Tyler and Emma--and even Opal Walsh, who usually runs with the popular kids--rush to his rescue . . . and discover a mysterious island hiding in the murky, swirling mists below.
Though the island appears uninhabited, the kids can't shake a feeling that something about it is definitely not right. Their suspicions grow when they stumble upon an abandoned houseboat filled with all sorts of curiosities: odd-looking weapons, unnerving portraits, maps to unknown places, and a glass jar containing something completely unidentifiable. And in its lowest depths churns a dark, deep secret.
As the group delves deeper into this mysterious new clubhouse, their lives begin to intertwine in weird and dangerous ways. For something ancient has awakened . . . and it can detect not only their wishes and dreams, but also their darkest, most terrible imaginings. Do they have what it takes to face the shadowy secrets lurking within their own hearts?
Told from alternating points of view, this pulse-racing tale from bestselling duo Ally Condie and Brendan Reichs is the start of a high-stakes, thrilling series about friendship and believing in yourself--and each other. - (Bloomsbury)
Ally Condie is the coauthor of The Darkdeep and the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Matched trilogy. Her other novels include The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe; Atlantia; and Summerlost, an Edgar Award finalist for best juvenile mystery. A former English teacher, Ally lives with her husband and four children outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. She has an MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts, and is the founder and director of the nonprofit WriteOut Foundation.
allycondie.com * @AllyCondie
Brendan Reichs is the coauthor of The Darkdeep and the six-volume Virals series, as well as the author of the instant New York Times bestseller Nemesis and its sequels Genesis and Chrysalis. He is also a member of the Executive Board for the YALLFEST and YALLWEST literary festivals and has received an MFA in creative writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. He lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife, son, daughter, and a herd of animals that tear up everything.
brendanreichs.com * @BrendanReichs - (Bloomsbury)
Booklist Reviews
Popular authors Condie (the Matched trilogy) and Reichs (Nemesis, 2017) combine their talents in this unsettling psychological thriller for a middle-grade audience. After 12-year-old Nico falls off a cliff while trying to rescue his quadcopter, his friends Tyler and Ella, along with Opal—caught between popularity and feeling semiresponsible for Nico's dire situation—stumble upon a hidden island, a mysteriously abandoned houseboat, and a swirling well of water that is home to something dark and possibly deadly. As the friends deal with personal experiences and navigate their various homelives, they also start to discover some nefarious effects of their experimentation with the well: figments begin appearing around the island in greater frequency and with increasingly murderous intent. But what happens when their deepest fears start to manifest, and they have no idea how to defend themselves? Condie and Reichs have developed an imaginative and ultimately uplifting narrative filled with dark and frightening components, in-depth character development, and a deliciously ominous ending that will leave readers craving the next volume of this planned duology. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The YA powerhouses behind the best-selling Matched trilogy (Condie) and Virals series (Reichs) are taking the middle-grade set by storm, and the publisher is pulling out all the promotional stops. Grades 3-6. Copyright 2018 Booklist Reviews.
