“A CURIOUS TALE OF THE IN-BETWEEN,” by Lauren DeStefano, Bloomsbury USA Childrens, Sept. 1, 2015, Hardcover, $16.99 (ages 8-12)
At the beginning of “A Curious Tale of the In-Between,” author Lauren DeStefano explains how the book came to be. She writes of a sudden loss when her uncle died and how her cousin, who was 10 at the time, was somewhere between the grandiose tales of heaven and the darker ways in which adults grieve. The two went to a bookstore and the cousin went immediately to the middle grade section She picked up a copy of a book she already owned and carried it around like a security blanket. When Lauren asked what she loved about this particular book, “she told me about its tragedies and triumphs. She didn’t shy away from its mentions of darker themes such as loss and heartbreak. She was describing exactly the sort of book that I had craved when I was her age. And really, the sort of book most readers want: something we can relate to. Something that tells us we’re not alone in our thoughts and our reactions. Something that helps us to understand. When we can’t make sense of our world, we turn to the worlds that have been written for us. Sometimes it’s the best answer we’re given.”
It’s with that tone that Pram Bellamy, the main character in “A Curious Tale of the In-Between” takes shape.
Pram is different. She’s always been different. She can speak to ghosts, and although no one living knows that, she always comes off a little strange. She doesn’t have many living friends, but she doesn’t mind. Between her books, her aunts and her ghostly companion Felix, she’s just fine.
But when Pram is sent to school, she discovers a new kind of friendship with Clarence, a boy who has also lost a parent and is looking for answers. Pram sets out to help Clarence communicate with his dead mother, and along the way, they meet the mysterious Lady Savant, who promises to help. But the spiritualist has ulterior motives. She knows what Pram can really do, and she wants that power for herself.
“A Curious Tale of the In-Between” is engrossing. The story is interesting on its own, but it’s Pram that makes this story sing. Pram is an old soul in a young body, but her innocence is refreshing and relatable.
This story is about ghosts and magic, but it feels completely real. It makes perfect sense that Pram can speak to ghosts and others cannot. And though there’s a sense of magic within the ghostly realm, the real magic here is the interconnected relationships that play out across the pages.
As an adult, I found myself lost in Pram’s story. I can only hope that the same will hold true with younger readers.
