The Den

This is the story of 13-year-old Marshall, who dreads the long summer with his troubled, difficult dad.

Things look up when he and his best friend Rory find an underground bunker, on the site of a knocked-down haunted cottage at the edge of the woods. They call it The Den and sneak off to sleep down there, lying to their folks by pulling the classic sleepover switch. But when Rory tells two other ex-friends who Marshall can’t abide about the Den, things get nasty – and violent. 

This is a high-concept book with complex emotions, exploring complicated situations and relationships but using uncomplicated language and short sentences (sometimes known as hi-lo). The use of a dyslexia-friendly font and off-white paper makes this book particularly appealing to reluctant readers, but all readers will enjoy this pared-down masterpiece with every word perfect.

This could be the book to hook a teenage boy who doesn’t think he likes reading. Highly recommended.