Into the Dark

Wilde, Nicholas

ISBN 10: 0590434241 ISBN 13: 9780590434249

Publisher: Scholastic, 1990

Synopsis

Matthew, a lonely blind boy, makes friends with Roly, an elusive, mysterious boy, but Matthew soon discovers that his secretive new friend is really the ghost of a young boy who is bound by a terrible tragedy

About this title

Reviews

Grade 5-7-- Matthew, 12, and his mother have rented a cottage by the sea for a week. Matt is blind, lonely, and apprehensive about getting around in a strange place. The day after his arrival, he meets Roly, who becomes his friend and his "eyes" to the salt marshes, the sea, and the nearby deserted baronial estate. Matt senses a strangeness about Roly and frequently experiences deja vu in his explorations with his friend. After a misunderstanding with his mother and a story from the estate's caretaker, Matt realizes that Roly is a ghost, Matt himself is Roly's reincarnated friend, and Roly's spirit wants forgiveness for causing both of their deaths 100 years before. Thematically, this is an excellent story of friendship and forgiveness. Both boys are liberated, one psychologically and one spiritually, in the final confrontation scene. At times the writing style is descriptive and emotional, evoking vivid images and empathy. Generally, though, the story is melodramatic and protracted, and the plot is too predictable to be suspenseful. Characters are weakly defined and there is far too little background information about Matt and his mother to make readers identify with their situation. --Ellen Ramsay, Amphitheater High School, Tucson, AZ
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Scholastic
• Publication date: 1990
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0590434241
• ISBN 13: 9780590434249
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 201