The Mostly True Story of Jack by Kelly Regan Barnhill
Fantasy; 319 pages
Jack is practically invisible at home, but when his parents send him to Iowa to spend a summer with his aunt and uncle, he suddenly makes friends, is beaten up by the town bully, and is plotted against by the richest man in town.
Sam’s review:
Jack doesn’t fit anywhere and has always felt like the odd man out. His feelings are confirmed when his emotionally distant parents ship him off from their San Francisco home to his eccentric aunt and uncle in the strange town of Hazelwood, Iowa. Jack is mystified by their house, which seems to be alive, and thinks that his relatives are kooks. He is mystified by a secret book that his uncle urges him to read. When Wendy and Frank, twins with secrets of their own, befriend him, along with Anders, who seems to be psychic, Jack begins to learn about the real situation in the town: souls are trapped by dark magic and he must save them. Jack’s slow realization of the magic of Hazelwood and his transformation into a character of power are compelling. I really came to care about each of the characters, and the gradually unfolding mystery kept me turning pages until late at night. It’s a mystery and fantasy with a strong message and plenty of suspense. The cover does not do it justice, sadly.