Thin Space

Gr 8 Up—This is a spooky story of the highest order. Twins Austin and Marsh Windsor looked so much alike that they were sometimes mistaken for each other, even by their girlfriends and high school classmates. The night Austin was killed in a car accident, they were on a double date, and Marsh was driving. To deal with his grief, he looks for a "thin space"-a mythic doorway where the living and dead can temporarily pass through into the worlds they left behind. Thin spaces don't come about easily; the same soul must both quicken and die in the same spot in order for an entry spot to be created. A woman had promised to make a thin space with her death, but a new family moves into her house before Marsh can get in and investigate. He hits upon a plan to befriend the new teenage residents, Maddie and Sam. Marsh and Maddie go barefoot through hospital corridors and across snow-covered parking lots, trying to find an entrance to the world of the dead. Throughout the book, the pressures of school and family weigh realistically on the protagonist; his mother needs to be hugged and classes need to be attended, even as he is falling apart with guilt and secrets. It turns out Maddie has a secret of her own. The final plot twist will catch most readers by surprise, making a second reading almost mandatory, to look for missed clues. The story is atmospheric and chilling, with a few four letter words, a bit of romance, and a satisfying ending.—Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley School, Fort Worth, TX