I Am Reading: Lykewise by Darren Simpson
Lykewise by Darren Simpson 👉
| Publisher: | Pushkin Children's Books |
|---|---|
| Publish date: | 24 September 2026 |
Harrowmere is a creepy place, surrounded by foggy boglands, drowned houses, eerie wraithlights and old legends. The people themselves have histories and hidden secrets. And then one day a stranger arrives…
A travelling merchant comes selling mirrors, but also lets slip a secret. Mirrors don't just show reflections, he says. If you place yourself between two of them, and recite a certain rhyme, they can do an act of magic – they can show you your true self… For Dunn Caulkner and his friends, this sounds like just a bit of spooky fun. But the creature that slips out of the mirror is anything but. Soon, terrible things are happening across the village, and nobody knows who they can trust. Where will the Lykewise strike next? Who will be its next victim?
Lykewise is a classic creepy horror story, and Darren Simpson knows how to tell it. From the start, the village of Harrowmere is a perfect setting. Atmospheric and brooding, its people are rich with secrets and hidden grudges. The characters are fully realised, with their own problems. Like the best Stephen King novels, this isn't just about the monster, but the humans who help it on its way, and as the paranoia ramps up, the story grabs you tight. It's fast-moving, too, told in a lean and mean 236 pages, with moments of real, visceral nastiness. It's old school horror done right – do you dare read it?
Great, creepy, occasionally downright nasty, and perfect for budding horror fans. Darren Simpson is fast becoming the new king of middle-grade horror!
Many thanks to Pushkin Children's Books for sending me this proof copy