The Gathering

by Isobelle Carmody

When fifteen-year-old Nathanial moves to a sinister town that has been bruised by an ancient evil, he finds himself one of those Chosen to fight the cycle of darkness.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Horror, Urban Fantasy, Supernatural, School

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Isobelle Carmody began the first novel of her highly acclaimed Obernewtyn Chronicles while she was still in high school. The series has established her at the forefront of fantasy writing in Australia.

In addition to her young-adult novels, such as the Obernewtyn Chronicles and Alyzon Whitestarr, Isobelle's published works include several middle-grade fantasies. Her still-unfinished Gateway Trilogy has been favorably compared to The Wizard of Oz and the Chronicles of Narnia. The Little Fur quartet is an eco-fantasy starring a half-elf, half-troll heroine and is fully illustrated by the author herself.

Isobelle's most recent picture book, Magic Night, is a collaboration with illustrator Declan Lee. Originally published in Australia as The Wrong Thing, the book features an ordinary housecat who stumbles upon something otherworldly. Across all her writing, Isobelle shows a talent for balancing the mundane and the fantastic.

Isobelle was the guest of honor at the 2007 Australian National Science Fiction Convention. She has received numerous honors for her writing, including multiple Aurealis Awards and Children's Book Council of Australia Awards.

She currently divides her time between her home on the Great Ocean Road in Australia and her travels abroad with her partner and daughter.

Librarian's note: Penguin Australia is publishing the Obernewtyn Chronicles in six books, and The Stone Key is book five. In the United States and Canada this series is published by Random House in eight books; this Penguin Australia book is split into two parts and published as Wavesong (Book Five) and The Stone Key (Book Six).

Reviews

[Emmajayne · Rating 1 out of 5]

No.

That's all I can say about this book.

No.

I'll make it quite clear I did not choose to read this book. My school did.
To me, Isobelle Carmody's 'The Gathering' was like that episode of NCIS that insipired a double murder. Literally, that bad.
All I can say is there was only one character I liked in this novel, he had four legs and a tail. And he died.

R.I.P. the Tod.

[Elizabeth Newton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Gathering is the first book by Isobelle Carmody that I have read. I read it because I was teaching a year 11 English class who were studying it at the time. I had to finish it quickly so that I could be of assistance to the students in their analysis tasks and as it is a full length, small-text novel, I thought this would be a struggle. But it wasn’t! I found it a real page turning book. Not only because of the nice short chapters, but also because of the way Carmody writes. There are some lines in there that I just ache over because I find myself wishing I had written that. I’m talking in terms of metaphors, mood and imagery. She really knows how to get you to see or smell or hear something vividly. The plot has been threaded together very well and the course of events is very interesting, opening up new mysteries for the reader in just about every chapter. There is a whisper of mysteries yet unanswered by the end and I’m not sure whether this is unsatisfying or just brilliant. I would now like to read more of Isobelle Carmody’s novels. Yet another author for me, as a new author, to learn from.

[lauren ❀ · Rating 1 out of 5]

THIS BOOK IS TERRIBLE. IT WAS A WASTE OF MY TIME. I wasn’t expecting much since I had to read this for school. That’s all I have to say.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

The idea of being an outsider in school has been done to death and done more skillfully than in this book. The idea of school being evil and some kind of gateway to hell has also been done and done better than in this book. The characters are all awkward young adults with a few twists to their personalities thrown in in order to create some facade of character depth. Not a fan.

[Nicky (burialshroud) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I took this book on holiday with me one year (possibly 1996). As you can probably appreciate I could only take a limited number of books away with me, so it was especially galling when this one turned out to be completely shit. I could've packed two Sweet Valley High books for the suitcase room taken up by this thing.

[Clare Snow · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I read this as a kid I guess I would have loved it? It was published after I aged out of YA, and I didn't age back in until this century. Reading it as an adult it feels very 1980s, probably because this was the kind of fantasy I read when I was a kid. (But it was pub 1993, not the 80s.) I'm sure this type of fantasy is still published, but I never went back to reading it, YA or not. What I really didn't want to read was the dog death.

When Nathanial says at the end that books can live forever, this one's doing pretty well, 30 years later.

[Lauren · Rating 1 out of 5]

Such a disappointment. Nathaniel is an annoying character. He's supposedly smart but he misses really obvious stuff. And the concept is stupid, slow moving and boring. It's like an idea for a short story that has been forcibly lengthened into a book.
And the most annoying thing about it was that because it's Isobelle Carmody and I know she's so clever it made me hang on all the way to the end. Waste. Of. Time.
Maybe... I would have enjoyed it more if I was a teenager, but I wouldn't really want a teenager reading it anyway. It tackles massive issues such as evil without ever really dealing with them. It kind of plays with horrible depressing themes for entertainment.
Really didn't like this one.

[Emmie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book. There was something about that other books didn't have. It was strange very strange, I guess that was the something about it. I absolutely adore the character development and all their flaws. It made them relatable. I also really love the end of the book where Nate almost gave into the Kraken, but bounded back to save Seth and do the healing. In tat moment when he said,"Nissa, we're the Chain," that moment you could just tell he had won. That was the moment when the darkness started to lose. I also loved how he had those dreams about the previous Chain. Those dreams were what ultimately lead to his victory.

[Changjun Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of people say they don't like this book but personally I thought it was a pretty good book because that all these things happened and it kept keeping me thinking the whole time. It was really sad at the end when the Tod was burned to death it made me hate the Buddha. I think the author put Tod as a guardian of Nathaniel but also the thing that would make him truly want to fight the Kraken.

[Sarah (is clearing her shelves) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Woah! This was a lot darker than I was expecting - the front cover does not convey the heaviness of the themes inside. Trigger warning for very graphic animal death they did something to the dog and it was horrifying (I'm trying not to think about it too much or I'm going to have nightmares about it happening to my dogs). Also, strong suicide themes, paedophilia mentioned, bullying, police brutality, and spousal/child abuse/attempted murder. I was expecting a mostly silly YA fantasy, but in my opinion the themes made this a pretty disturbing horror. While I didn't hate this and Isobelle Carmody is one of my favourite YA authors, this isn't something I'd choose to reread (unlike her Obernewtyn series), so it's joining the other recent reads from my shelves in the donation box.

[Jill Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Natanial has moved yet again with his mother to a new town. Only this time he has a feeling of dread as they draw closer to Chestnut. It is a model town with crime almost eliminated from its streets but there is a sinister undercurrent in the town. The school Three North, looks like a concentration camp. The building is cold and the stench from the nearby slaughterhouse almost unbearable, although none of his fellow students or teachers seems to notice. Three North hides a terrible past where a teacher is burned to death and the Library destroyed. Natanial decides to investigate this strange event as part of a history project. His mother has taken a job at the nearby towns nursing home and is always busy leaving him to fend for himself.

Nathanial likes comic books and his dog The Tod. Strangely three nights in a row he finds himself taking The Tod for a walk to the schoolyard, even though he finds on the first night he has broken ‘curfew’ by being out in the evening. They are drawn into a group fighting a terrible evil that pervades the town and is growing stronger. His group of teenage friends find themselves opposing a supernatural enemy who resides in the body Mr Karle the School Principal.

The book is divided into segments as the chapters relate to the events that occur in Natanial’s life. One – The Choosing, Two – The Gathering, Three – The Forging and Four – The Binding, all revolve around the group chosen by Lallie a gaunt fragile girl who uttered their instructions as to how to fight the enemy. Nissa her friend that lived in the attic of the school library, Danny the school bully, Indian a big lad who rebelled against the school system and Seth Paul who was the local Police Chiefs son.

The evil is palpable sending shivers up your spine as you turn the pages wondering what could happen next. This group of teenagers seem to have to fight a darkness that threatens to take over Chestnut then the surrounding towns. Natanial finds himself the eye of the group seeing how they can overcome the evil and triumph. The conclusion is very satisfactory as he also learns the reason his mother has moved from town to town since his fathers death and begins to understand the trauma of a life in constant fear, and be able to help recover from it.

The Gathering is a joint winner of ‘The Children’s Book Council of Australia’ 1994 Book of the Year Award winner for older readers as well as joint winner of the thirtieth Children’s Peace Literature Prize in 1993.

[Dar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading this book back in High School so many years ago & really loving it. Don't most of us feel like the 'outsider' in High School? I think alot of teens could relate to it.
After seeing it pop up again on a friend's list I think I'll give it a re-read! I really like Isobelle Carmody's writing style, but have not thought to read any of her books since school, I think it's time to track some down.

[Trinity · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was the worst thing I've read. Yes, I read it for school ages ago and it's horribleness scarred me for life. It was all rushed and confusing. I don't have much to say except RIP the tod

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

The most disturbing (unnecessarily so), morbid, weirdly written and strange book I have ever been forced to read for school.

[Vanshi · Rating 1 out of 5]

PSA: Do not read this book. Never. Ever.

Burn this book like The Tod was burnt

[Sophia Barsuhn · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was my first Isobelle Carmody book, and although I hated it, I don't think I'll give up on her as an author. If she stays this bad, then we'll have a problem, but for now, I'm willing to give her some grace. That being said, wow, was this terrible! The characters were barely more than paper cutouts (perhaps so the audience could find it easier to project themselves onto them); this was some of the worst telling instead of showing I've read all year; there were so many moments of bad writing and editing (on page 140, one of the characters comes running up "panting and out of breath, red spots of color in his cheeks"); it moves both excruciatingly slow and dizzyingly fast; there is never a sense of real terror or danger.

There were so many moments where I was clearly supposed to be horrified or heartbroken, but the writing was just so lackluster that I was bored. On the front of my copy of the book, there's a quote from author Robert Cormier calling Isobelle Carmody "Stephen King for young adults". I have plenty of issues with dear old Stevie K (see my recent reviews of The Shining and Cujo for a few examples, although the turning point started back in 2020 and 2021 when I read Doctor Sleep and The Institute, respectively), but he can really tell a story. He has made me nauseous with fear on more than a few occasions. Comparing this awful book to even the worst Stephen King book is honestly insulting.

The concept of this book was great, and I really loved the canine character, but a cool premise and a good dog have never been enough to save a bad book.

[Kate Stewart · Rating 2 out of 5]

TW: extreme violence, DV, death, torture, animal torture and death, references to rape, occult themes, death, did I mention death?
If you are a parent of a precocious reader wondering whether this book is suitable, DON’T let your child anywhere near it! I can’t quite believe this is a book for kids!
This book is really difficult to rate. I hated it, for one thing: one very descriptive scene is truly upsetting (and I am really not at all squeamish when it comes to book horror. See my review earlier of Tender is the Flesh). It’s disjointed, and difficult to read as so much necessary info is left out. It’s not particularly original and reads like the author, who is a highly rated author for YA, tried to write a Stephen King for kids and got just about everything wrong.
But..the mood and tone are consistently dark, and evoke a real sense of mounting horror. I’ve not been able to get it out of my head. In that sense, although there are lots of things that don’t make any sense in the book, it was well done. I can’t recommend it though.

[Jessica Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adored even the most graphic of heart wrenching moments. A special place in my heart is formed for this masterpiece. I will forever cherish reading it in my youth and what it brought to me. A favourite, brilliant author of mine who spun gold between the pages.

[Bonham Dockery · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read The Gathering by Isobelle Carmody. Its about a kid Nathan, who transfers to a new school in a new town. When he gets there everything seems perfect and nothing out of place. He meets a kid who is big and hairy, they call him Bear. When he was walking his dog one night when he noticed bear and his friend danny breaking into the school, there he meets a new group of friends who all bring some sort of supernatural object. Nathan quickly learns that he also needs to find his object. His principal is very strict and stern. He claims to have cleaned Chestnut up. After Nathan find out his principal is not what he seems to be, he and his friends use all their objects to come together and defeat their principal. This book was awful. Belated climax, wouldn't say there was much of one. Not very interesting after the first 3 chapters.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not currently available as an ebook, and is not in print, but I found an audio version in the library and listened to it whilst driving on a work trip. It is a pity that the text copy would be hard to come by as it is a very good book that reminded me in parts of "The Chocolate War" but also had a supernatural or "magical realism" element too that reminded me strongly of David Almond.

Cheshunt is, depending on how you look at it, a model low crime neighbourhood, or a fascist one complete with night time curfews. As soon as Nathaniel moves there with his mother it is clear that he is wavering towards the second point of view. It does not help that his mother has moved the two of them so frequently that he is heartily sick of his rootless existence. It is perhaps relevant that his estranged father has recently died. The town itself smells of death because of the abattoir located there.

Things turn sour in school quickly when Nathaniel challenges a science teacher's love of ants and the way they all do what they are told. It is apparent that individualism is not cherished here, and his headmaster talks to him about it and then issues a detention when Nathaniel refuses to join the school youth club, "The Gathering".

Daniel is not the only one who resists the drive for conformity, however, and it turns out that a group of students have coalesced around an unusual leader who sees them as a magical circle of chosen ones, each of whom must find their totem. The totems are ordinary objects that take on a supernatural significance, and here there is a clever walk by the author along a tightrope between imaginative games and something that is actually a little supernatural.

Behind everything there is a rising evil and a hidden past to Cheshunt and Nathaniel is to discover and confront both the history of the place but also of himself too.

This was a well written book for young adults, and deserves to be more widely known. It is set in Australia by an Australian author, but it could just as easily be America, or (sans mention of a hurricane) many other countries. definitely worth a read if you can find it, but unless your library has it, second hand or audiobooks may be the only way to go with this

[Renee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to like Isobelle Carmody, I do. I've read quite a few of her books. I and loved Obernywton. But then not the rest of the series so much. So I read this book, thinking it was a fairly short stand alone novel. But I still didn't like it that much. I mean it was OKAY, but not great or even good. And I'm a bit disappointed.
I found the story very disjointed, as if things needed to be explained more, or there needed to be more background story. The thing with fantasy is to make a story believable, even though its fantasy. And I just didn't feel it. I'm sorry, I really really wanted to like it. Just the whole concept of the chain, the evil darkness and the objects of good or whatever, it was all very meh.

[Deb · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the first book by Isobelle Carmody that I have read.

And I was not impressed.

I found the characters irritating, the story line too far strung out and much too dark for a young audience.

The darkness of the story was probably my biggest issue with The Gathering considering it's intended audience. There was a particular scene which was far too graphic and unnecessary, those of you who have read it will know to which one I am referring.

As a librarian I like to read wide and varied and books for all ages and audiences, but in my opinion, this one is definitely not one that I will be recommending to my young readers.

I will try another Isobelle Carmody book though - perhaps I just started with the exception. Every author has one!

[Sarah Thornton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too hard to put down, and a long book for a single read!
Compelling, with multi-dimensional characters and the injustices and indignities of the real world juxtaposed against the fantasy world Carmody wrought.
I took some painkillers before reading this book (and subsequently am still feeling them now, as I write this review) and the second sentence had me shook. I was hooked. I could go my whole life waiting for something to surprise me as pleasantly as that moment.
I'll be reading more of her books, but I will be checking carefully that they are standalones as I've heard some of her series's are unfinished and I need closure.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an enthralling read, one of those books you don't want to put down. I was worried because I just couldn't get into Obernewtyn at all, but this book was much better written and had more engaging characters in my opinion. I especially love that it read a bit like a mystery. The pieces would fall into place around the time I figured it out for myself.

I thought the ending went by a bit too quickly, but it didn't really matter because what needed to be said already had been. Overall, a great, eerie read :)

[Tulsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly dark tale about young adults in, I'm assuming, and Australian town. It verges on the supernatural, and to me at least, seem to talk about personal strength and individual power against the majority. Multi-layered and complex, this is a story for a very mature teenager.

I read this as a kid, and was spell bound.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT!
This was a very good mid grade novel, filled with suspense, interesting and well-rounded characters, and a classic light-vs-dark plot. I was surprised by the violent demise of one of the main characters, but I have not read enough books in this genre to know whether this would be the norm/shocking to young readers.

[DJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this back when I was in my first year of high school (20-ish years ago) and thought it was awesome. I was a big fan of Isobelle Carmody at the time and read everything she'd written. I decided to listen to it as an audiobook recently and realised how completely ridiculous it was. I'm genuinely questioning everything I used to like!

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

All i can say is wow. Maybe one of the best reads this year. All of the characyers with the exeption of a few, were amazing and likeable, they felt like there own people. Whilw the villan could have been a little better, i still loved the high stakes. The book shocked me at many times, and was not afraid to tackle heavy issues. The relataionships between the characters was interesting and real.

[Indi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of my personal favourites. It is so captivating, scary and epic that I could not put it down. Don't worry, the cover does not do it justice. Isobelle Carmody is a genius and this book is one of her best.

[Karena · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am scarred for life.