The Night Weaver

September 23, 2019
The children of Shadow Grove are disappearing, and while the adults don’t seem to care, Rachel Cleary, 17, decides she’s going to find them. Helping her is Dougal Mackay, the grandson of Rachel’s endearing neighbor, Mrs. Crenshaw. Then, while coming back from a party, Rachel and Dougal come face to face with the creature that is kidnapping the kids and entrancing the adults. Dougal calls it the Black Annis (the Night Weaver)—a fae that eats children. With the help of Orion, a fae stuck in the human world, Rachel launches an assault on the Annis’s realm. Though there are many familiar YA tropes—a dead parent, a community outsider, a dreamy boy next door—Snyman’s creative adoption of English folklore adds a unique twist, and satisfying frights abound. A few scenes, particularly one in which Rachel is drugged and then forcibly kissed without consent, are unfortunate missteps in an otherwise enjoyable, frenetically paced fantasy, which was a Bram Stoker Award nominee. Ages 14–up. Agent: Gandolfo Helin, Fountain Literary Management.

October 1, 2019

Gr 9 Up-Stephen King's It meets Stephenie Meyer's Twilight in Snyman's first installment of a new series. In the town of Shadow Grove, an ominous presence seeks to be fed and cause destruction. Children mysteriously vanish into thin air; all the while, adults put a veil over the history of the town, developing lies to cover up a hidden truth. With no sane adult to turn to, 17-year-old Rachel Cleary, her neighbor Mrs. Crenshaw, and teen grandson Dougal Mackay brave their way through the town's forest to search for the missing kids and ward off the Night Weaver (the evil Black Annis of folklore) before she captures and devours all of the children. This is a frightening story of horror and fantasy woven together to create a delectable tale of the macabre. Snyman effortlessly transforms an ominous story into one of romance and action, as love blossoms between Rachel and the mysterious Fae named Orion who aids her on her quest to save the town's children. The mature content intensifies the story while backing up the need for the teenagers to take on adult roles. Readers will fall in love with Rachel's no-nonsense personality and witty banter. VERDICT Snyman's storytelling will have people lining up for the next book in the series.-Beronica Puhr, Oak Park Public Library, IL

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