First published 2010
Wendy Darling studies at the prestigious Marlowe School in Manhattan alongside her younger brother John. Their professor father owns THE BOOK OF GATES, an ancient Egyptian relic he suspects contains real magic. When Wendy and John read aloud from the mysterious text, they trigger something catastrophic. The words transport them into a dark underground realm that snakes beneath their school. The corridors grow black. Dead moths cover the floors. Peter, a magnetic new resident advisor, explains what the siblings have done. Their recitation has torn open a barrier between worlds. The underworld now bleeds into Marlowe School, bringing its evil with it. Peter reveals deeper truths about immortality and its costs as Wendy faces the consequences of unleashing ancient forces she cannot control.
Genres: fantasy, contemporary, young-adult, paranormal
Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: chosen-one, found-family, portal-fantasy
Setting: Marlowe School, Manhattan, Egypt
Period: contemporary
401 pages · Kindle Edition · Candlewick
Content warnings: death