'For older 10+ year old fans of horror, this is a thrilling tale of monsters, battling evil and sibling unity... a genuinely terrifying tale with a message about families, bravery and fighting your own nightmares.' School Reading List August Fiction Book of the Month
Gloam
Jack MackayIn a creaky old house on a small, damp island, someone – or something – is waiting…
A Sunday Times Children’s Book of the Week
"Thrillingly scary and impossible to put down. Don’t read it alone!" Jonathan Stroud, author of Lockwood & Co
A grieving family. A decaying house. A babysitter with a monstrous secret. Nothing on Gloam Island is quite what it seems…
Gwen doesn’t need anyone to help her look after her younger siblings. And she isn’t fooled by the beautiful babysitter with the hungry eyes and sharp teeth. But everyone else is. So if Gwen wants Esme Laverne gone, she’ll have to handle it herself.
As Esme’s power grows, Gwen must embrace her deepest fears before she can defeat the monster in her home for good.
Because as everyone knows, it’s impossible to be brave unless you’re already afraid.
Reviews
'With horrifying monsters that cleave their way out of your nightmares, Mackay’s spine-chilling début is an impressively spooky read that deftly explores grief, blended families and what it means to be brave.' Irish Examiner
"A spooky tale that will put you off babysitters for life ... Fun, frightening, the perfect cozy day read." Phil Hickes, author of The Shadowhall Academy series.
'For older 10+ year old fans of horror, this is a thrilling tale of monsters, battling evil and sibling unity... a genuinely terrifying tale with a message about families, bravery and fighting your own nightmares.' School Reading List
'This gothic horror by debut author Jack Mackay is wonderfully tense and eerie. Readers are transported to the desolate island of Gloam and the macabre setting of the old house through excellent descriptive passages and a gripping storyline... A superb book for fans of gothic horror and an excellent class read to demonstrate atmospheric descriptions in KS2 and above.' BookTrust
“The first time I read this book, I was so frightened I hid under the bed – and read it again.” Lemony Snicket, author of A Series of Unfortunate Events
'Gloam, the accomplished debut by Jack Mackay, ticks a lot of boxes... delivers just the right amount of horror for young readers... a promising debut.' The Times Children's Book of the Week
'A superbly unsettling 9+ horror.' Guardian
'a gripping and creepy novel with a monster so terrifying readers will be shivering in their beds. An excellent debut.' Bookseller
'Jack Mackay’s debut is a thoroughly chilling Gothic thriller that makes excellent use of the tropes of the genre while introducing some very distinct and memorable terrors... An excellent debut.' Books for Keeps
'a brilliantly terrifying treat about a babysitter who is not what she seems.' Charlotte Eyre, Bookseller
'Gloam Island is not a place for the faint-hearted. You think you know scary? Think again! Jack Mackay's debut is a seriously spooky, chilly nightmare of a book. I dare you to read it after dark...' Keith Gray, author of Ostrich Boys
Jack Mackay
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