Books for Young People - The Accidental Afterlife of Thomas Marsden
Author: Kyla Sterling
One thing I’ll say about Emma Trevayne, she knows how to write a good first chapter. A good first couple chapters, even.
After that, though, things start to…not exactly fizzle, but settle.
Thomas Marsden is a grave robber. His father is a grave robber, and presumably his grandfather was, as well. His father is teaching him the trade, and is pleased with his progress. Thomas has a good eye for the graves that are most likely to contain enough gold and jewelry. One night, though, his instincts lead him to a fresh, unmarked grave on the edge of a cemetery – and when he and his father open it up… he’s inside.
Thoroughly shaken at finding his double in a grave, Thomas begins following the mysterious instructions buried with the other boy, and is sucked into a world of faeries, spiritualists, the secrets of his own birth and the possibility of having magical powers.
From this point on, the story is straightforward. The villains are obvious, and the allies just as obvious. There is a clear mystery, but it’s also solved in a linear fashion, with the clues leaked at the proper times to keep the reader interested. Twists? Not really. There were times I thought I smelled a double-cross, a misidentification, or something else that was not entirely as it seemed. But each time, the plot moved forward as it had been. The ending wraps everything up neatly in one tidy package, and even if it seemed both too sudden and too convenient to me, it still resolves the story nicely.
This is not to say the book isn’t worth reading. It’s a great example of a good versus evil storyline, with some fresh new plot devices that I haven’t seen before. But I’d recommend it for younger readers, rather than fantasy veterans.
Things to know: Not a whole lot, actually. The book is meant for ages 9-14 or so, and it’s a historical fantasy, so there isn’t any sex or drugs. Being historical, Thomas might drink wine or cider with dinner, but I don’t actually remember. And there’s no bad language. Really, the only questionable part comes when Thomas runs away from home for a while. (He does eventually reconcile with his family, though.)
