LORE ISLE

A Canadian boy travels to a magical world to help his family and restore a lost wolf population.

A century ago, Newfoundland wolves were hunted to extinction by humans. So when 13-year-old Peter Connors sees a wolf while he’s out fishing with his grandfather, he is bewildered. Life gets turned upside down when Grandpa dies suddenly, and his will discloses that the house has been left to all his daughters, not just Peter’s mother, who has been living there. With the home he grew up in being sold and Mom struggling with anxiety, Peter accepts an offer from Mr. Doyle, a strange man claiming to be Grandpa’s friend. Together they travel to Lore Isle, a land of mythical creatures, where Peter will help Mr. Doyle find something in return for gold that will allow his mom to buy the house. The longer he spends on Lore Isle, the more Peter discovers that not everything is as it seems. Mr. Doyle hasn’t revealed the entire truth. Faced with evil mummers, giant insects, and fairy curses, Peter must find the courage to do what is right. This well-paced fantasy features strongly developed characters and twisted versions of mythical creatures. It highlights ecological and mental health concerns, limiting conceptions of masculinity, and the process of self-discovery. Sporadic black-and-white illustrations add to the eerie, somber tone. Characters largely present white; Peter and his mother are implied biracial by his late maternal grandmother’s East Asian surname.

An atmospheric, well-executed, and otherworldly fantasy.