Gloom Town by Ronald L. Smith

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Set in a fictional seaside village on the continent Europica, Gloom Town is an atmospheric and delightfully creepy story of magical planes, mythical creatures, and dark secrets. 

Desperately wanting to help his single mother with the family finances, Rory applies for a valet job at the mysterious Foxglove Manor. When he gets the job, his excitement over financial freedom quickly diminishes with every dark and lonely day on the job. Days spent dusting and cleaning are followed by cold nights and mysterious dinner parties. When Rory’s life is put in danger, he and his best friend Izzy must use their smarts and bravery to save themselves, and the whole of Gloom Town. 

This is a fantastic middle grade adventure with lots of spooky elements that can get a bit dark so it’d be best for those over ages 9 or 10. Rory and Izzy are great characters who are both relatable and interesting. Both children have been gifted some sort of magical power that they learn the true strength of their powers with each other’s help. Even with their special gifts, both children are incredibly brave and strong and show true loyalty to their families and each other. 

Rory and his mother are struggling to make it financially and that’s even with her working two jobs. Their desire for financial security is, unfortunately, going to be very relatable to many young readers. 

The story moves quickly with plenty of action to keep readers interested. I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the town and the way that the townspeople are seen as a close knit community. Foxglove Manor is a dark and creepy mansion with mysterious suits of armor and creepy paintings and you could feel how cold and hungry Rory was while there. This would be great for those readers that a book with a strong sense of place and atmosphere. Ronald L. Smith is a multiple award winner including the Coretta Scott King award for his novel Hoodoo and his writing is a delight to read. I’m very excited to add this to our Children’s Department Spooky and Scary shelf. 

I don’t call it the Horror section, the grown-ups get weird about kids reading horror.  Call it Spooky and Scary and they don’t blink an eye. 

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