The Worlds We Leave Behind by A.F. Harrold is a compelling and somewhat disturbing fairytale-esque story underlining the theme “Be careful what you wish for”.
Hex is a boy who exhibits a strangeness in character; he isn’t sure why he publicly makes fun of classmates, or says the tactless things he does. But when Hex’s reactionary nature not only injures a child but also makes him a target for that child’s siblings, he runs into a peculiar forest where he meets a peculiar woman and her wolf-sized dog. The woman offers Hex the opportunity to revenge himself on those he thinks has wronged him by “snipping” them from the world. While Hex hesitates to follow through with the offer, someone else has received the same offer against him and has no such compunction in erasing his existence.
Switching to the viewpoint of Tommo, Hex’s one-time best friend, we continue the story with characters feeling as though something is missing from their life and working together to figure out how to reverse Hex’s elimination.
The story has a somewhat disturbing ending, but to me it only underscored the idea of being careful about what you wish for, because it might come true and in a way you don’t expect. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and appreciated it’s evocative storytelling style. I think it would appeal to readers of Darkhenge by Catherine Fisher, or Well Wished by Franny Billingsley.
Review of an Advance Reading Copy provided by Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 3 religious exclamations; 3 mild obscenities; 1 religious profanity
Violence/Gore: Many instances of violence and gore, including but not limited to: a recurring time-lapse where a girl falls and breaks her arm; a girl on a swing accidently knocks a boy down; a boy throws a stone and hits a character on the forehead; a boy lies to get out of trouble; a boy almost gets hit by a car; character is confronted by other characters, punched and knocked down a riverbank; a boy feels anger at being bullied; an enormous dog chases after a character; a character comes across as menacing; several characters are offered the opportunity to avenge themselves on those who have grieved them; a mother confronts a boy about her daughter’s injuries; a girl is slapped in public; a character is “forgotten”; a girl punches a boy; a character confesses to cutting someone out of the world; report of an otherworldly parasitic creature; characters see cobwebby hammocks on a ceiling; a character spies on someone having a feast; a boy challenges an evil character and accidentally sets it loose on a victim; in an extended scene, a boy frees a character from an evil character’s dwelling, as they run away another victim is seen in the evil character’s dwelling, but before the victim can be rescued the evil character is magically cut loose from the world and vanishes; a character has ceased to exist.
Sex/Nudity: None
Mature Content:
Injury to a child; divorce; emotional abuse; death of a teenager.
Drugs/Alcohol:
A boy knocks over a beer can.
