The worlds we leave behind by A.F. Harrold. Illus. by Levi Pinfold

This is a dark modern fairy tale with forests, a menacing witch and chilling photo-realistic black and white illustrations by Levi Pinfold. The story takes place over five days and begins from Hex’s point of view. Hex (Hector) goes into the woods with his best friend Tommo. They are followed by a young girl called Sascha and once there take turns on a precarious rope swing. Hex throws a stone and Sascha crashes to the ground and seriously breaks her arm. Later Sascha’s siblings, Maria and Jayce, beat Hex up and he runs off and finds himself in an unfamiliar part of the woods, where an old woman called Missus and her huge dog, Leafy, live in a cottage. Missus gives Hex an acorn and tells him if he crushes it, she will take revenge on Maria for him. Missus has said the same thing to Maria and it is Maria who crushes the acorn first.

What happens next is at first quite baffling. The tale is now told from Tommo’s point of view. Hex has been erased from time but it takes time for Tommo to understand that this has happened. Somehow wafts of Hex's existence are still around and Tommo has deja vu. Sascha breaks her arm in similar circumstances to the first incident. Tommo and Maria are approached by a special agent who tells them what Missus and Leafy are truly up to. This takes the story into the world of meddling with time and the realms of science fiction.

This is very thought-provoking story with much to admire. The device of crushing the acorn and the impact this has on changing what happens in time is effective. A.F. Harrold uses language well and the creepiness is palpable. There are many menacing touches throughout and it successfully invokes Hansel and Gretel. And of course, the wonderful illustrations really complement this. The family situations are nuanced and the characters are believable and flawed. The theme of revenge and its consequences occur throughout the story. There is also a theme of how adults fairly treat children. I was reminded of the streaming series Stranger Things and believe this book will be thoroughly appreciated by young readers with mature tastes.

Themes: Revenge, Friendship, Science Fiction.

Jo Marshall