The Lovely Dark
Matthew Fox
Hodder Children’s Books

As the story opens Ellie is coping with the loss of her grandmother three years back, early on in the pandemic and being unable to say goodbye. During the pandemic too, a boy named Justin and his family moved into an empty house on Ellie’s street and the two become good friends. I love Ellie’s comments relating to forming of their friendship: “ … Books are the key. … When you meet someone new and they’ve read the same books as you … and they feel the same way as you do about them, it means they’re all right in your book. … You have a kind of shared language.”

Ellie and Justin visit an uncovered Roman mosaic where they are involved in a devastating accident. Both children find themselves in the Underworld but on two completely different journeys.
Ellie’s path leads her to a place called Eventide House, a school ‘of sorts’ so Mrs Cauke, the ‘headmistress’ tells her. Despite the days there being pleasant and almost without restrictions, Ellie soon senses something isn’t right about the place. However she discovers a girl, Ash, in the library and the two make a pact.

By this time though Ellie is more determined than ever to return to the world of the living especially so she can see her new baby brother. But will she manage to do so?

I found myself needing to put this amazing, very special book aside several times as I read, such were the sad feelings it engendered. It’s written with great sensitivity, and tenderness, cleverly mixing the 21st century world devastated by the pandemic with Ancient Greek mythology as the author explores loss and grief through a protagonist who never loses hope. Add to that the tribute Ross makes to the power of books and stories:: there’s nothing more this reviewer could ask.

I’m now going to seek out Matthew’s first book, The Sky Over Rebecca.