Dark Peak

by Marcus Sedgwick

During a long, hot summer, two children, Stephanie and Stephen, go missing while on a school trip to Lud's Church, a deep chasm in the heart of the Peak District. Porter and his friend, Sam, are sent to fetch help. When they return they are surprised to find that although Stephanie has been found, no one is even looking for Stephen anymore. Why can no one remember what's happened him? What happened in the dark of Lud's Church? And why does Porter get the feeling thatsupernatural forces from deep in the past are at play? Marcus Sedgwick fuses mythology and mystery to create a compelling tale that is perfect for less-confident readers.

Genres: Fiction, Horror, Young Adult, Folklore, Middle Grade, Fantasy

Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2021

About the author

Marcus Sedgwick was a British writer and illustrator. He authored several young adult and children's books and picture books, a work of nonfiction and several novels for adults, and illustrated a collection of myths and a book of folk tales for adults.

Reviews

[Helen]

Amazing book

[Catherine Pinkett]

Interesting concept. Packed a punch for a short book

[Debra]

Superb, tense thriller set in Derbyshire’s Peak District in an area called Lud’s Church. I know this area well and Sedgwick describes it brilliantly and accurately. A school trip goes wrong and a boy goes missing. Legends about The Green Knight, a ghostly White Girl, and hidden paths make this a mystical as well as spookily haunting. It’s a Barrington Stoke collaboration with OUP in their Super Readable Rollercoasters series that should get even then most reluctant of reluctant readers reading.

[Kath]

Dark Peak tells the story of two children that go missing on a geography field trip to 'Dark Peak', a real place in the Peak District National Park. One of the children, Stephanie Best (the popular girl in school - you know the type - typically average in every way and yet everyone loves her and she's destined to be Head Girl) is found quickly, but Stephen Greene is still missing. The main character in the story, Porter Fox, decides to keep looking even though everyone else seems to have already forgotten about Stephen.

I enjoyed this short novella. It tackles lots of different themes; life changing incidents, the effects of trauma, why people act the way they do (towards others)... And also entwines with myth and ancient tales that have been steeped into English language and culture for centuries. Its a good introduction to some of these older stories to young readers (such as the King Arthur stories and Gawain and the Greene Knight), who may not have heard about them before, and hopefully will peke their interest to read more (with a handy reading list at the end).

My favourite thing about this book is the clever way this story is told suggests it could actually have happened, which is a nice twist on the myth and legend theme, as these tales could be true too.

[Caroline]

An atmospheric book, creepy and full of ancient myths. Although this is a short book for Barrington Stoke, the writing is top quality and it has all you’d expect from Marcus Sedgwick. A great way to draw reluctant readers in as well - highly recommended.

[Helen Swinyard]

Absolutely genius.

[L.C. Wolff]

Didn't expect a link to Arthurian legends when I picked up this book. Delightful quick read with the perfect teen chills feeling.

[Laura Fowler-Holden]

Dark and chilling story, a folk tale mixed with a teen coming of age style short story. A good choice if you love Green man stories

[Lilly]

Not the best book I borrowed from the library today I have to say

[Grinney Pig]

Was an interesting build up but the ending did not explain much was a bit of a anticlimax.

[Ann]

2.5

[Liberty]

I'm a fan of Gawain and the Green Knight, so very excited to read this.
I was slightly confused by the ending, but it was exciting enough not to worry to much.

[Rachel Huskisson]

A great page turner, one to recommend any reluctant readers or someone who wants a short but thrilling read.

[Joshua Radburn]

A perfect little intro to horror for younger readers. Loved the setting and touches of mythology.

[Libraryliz]

Ok.

[Chris]

A brief, atmospheric, and creepy little book about supernatural horrors with historic roots in medieval England.

[Funny Bunny]

This was really creepy but I still enjoyed the book a bit.It was a quick read and I enjoyed it.👍🏾

[Jane]

Good children's book. Supernatural, mysterious and celebrates exploration of the English Language.

[Julie Eastlick]

Interesting little book. I felt really curious and invested right from the beginning.

[Mark Johnson]

Interesting quick read packed with Sedgwick’s usual brilliant eye for detail. Great concept and tying in to Arthurian legend is exciting to read.

[BookBairn]

This possibly wasn't the best fit for me in terms of the sort of book I would normally choose and overall I found myself with more questions than answers, which is maybe a good thing from a book, of course. The characters in this needed more developing and the mystery was a bit too mysterious.

[Lucy]

It made me feel sad at the end. Like when the children can’t go back to Narnia anymore. I wanted to cry and I’m not sure why. Also - legit suspenseful and scary scene when Porter is running through the thunderstorm.