Thornghost by Tone Almhjell feels like what would happen if Neil Gaiman wrote a story of Narnia.  This book is hesitantly rated for ages 9 and older since there is very little violence literally depicted, but be warned that the entire story has a very macabre flavor.  It begins with the death of the main character’s mother and doesn’t much improve from there.  There are bird skeletons, bones, hints of madness, dead pets and other animals, nightmares, and marauding trolls all over the place.  The first third of the book moves pretty slowly.  It does eventually pick up but it takes a little while to get there.  One does gain a liking for most of the characters, but there still seems to be a bit of a disconnect–as if the reader is missing some details that are assumed but never really given.  There is a lot of reading between the lines for the story to really connect, and it is questionable if most middle grade readers would be able to do that.  Overall an interesting book with some unpredictable twists; once you get past the beginning you have a pretty decent Edgar Allen Poe-flavored fairytale.

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Penguin

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  None

Violence/Gore:  Large frightening beast chases characters; creepy nightmares described; character finds a lamb slashed and dead; characters enter old crypt; characters minorly cut and threatened with death; deaths by poison reported; battle with skeletal birds; a character is mortally wounded; description of drowning/near-drowning; character slashed across the face; threats of death; characters pinned and battle giant thorns; character writes in his own blood; battle viewed from a distance; threat of death.

Sex/Nudity: None

Mature Subject Matter:

Death of a parent, death (and more death), hints at insanity. 

Alcohol / Drug Use:

Characters drink mead.