Draw the Dark

Reader: Elise S
Age: 14
Title: Draw the Dark
Author: Ilsa J. Bick
Publisher: Carolrhoda Lab
Pub Date: 10/2010
Galley: Yes
Nominate for Teens’ Top 10: Yes
Annotation: Christian Cage is an orphaned, teenage artist, living with his uncle in small town Wisconsin. Uncanny, and often lethal powers have visited him since a young age, but now they're getting stronger. A mystery is emerging, one tracing back to WWII, and that endangers the entire town.
Recommend: Yes
Convince us to read the book: Draw the Dark is a wonderful combination of fantasy, murder mystery, sci-fi, and historical fiction. The mystery is tense and exciting, with real (or so you feel) repercussions for the protagonist. Little details come back that you'd never have expected. Subplots are woven in that are amazingly ingenious, and don't really end until the last page.
Compelling Aspect of the Book: The mystery. I'm a sucker for murder mysteries, and when an author adds in WWII, it makes it all the better. There is no way to predict the ending, and I was on the edge of my seat until the last page. The author very craftily provides new information so that there's hardly any down time.
Did the cover tempt you and/or reflect the contents: The cover is creepily compelling. The altogether darkish atmosphere makes the glowing door all the more intriguing. The location is key in the novel, and it really represents the book.
Did you finish: Yes
Age Range: 12-18 and up
Quality: 5Q Hard to imagine a better book
Popularity: 5P Everyone wants to read it