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The Worlds We Leave Behind
From acclaimed author and illustrator pair A.F. Harrold and Levi Pinfold comes another powerful and poignant story about friendship, betrayal, and redemption.
Hex doesn't know why he does the things he does-why he sometimes stands up in class to look out the window or ask an unrelated question or do a little dance. He also doesn't know why he threw the rock that day in the woods. He didn't mean for the girl to fall and break her arm. But he's blamed anyway.
Enraged at how unfair life is, Hex runs into the woods and finds himself in a strange clearing-a clearing that can't possibly exist-where a strange old woman offers him a she'll rid the world of those who wronged him. All he has to do is accept and they'll be forgotten, forever. But what Hex doesn't know is that someone else has been offered the same deal.
When Hex's best friend Tommo wakes up the next day, something feels wrong. Half-whispered memories tug at his brain, making him think that something-or someone-is missing from his life. Can Tommo put the world back the way it was? Or can he find a way to make a new world that could be better for them all?
This unforgettable story, complete with lush black-and-white illustrations throughout, explores how we can find the strength to face down in the darkness, in our friends, and in our selves.
Hex doesn't know why he does the things he does-why he sometimes stands up in class to look out the window or ask an unrelated question or do a little dance. He also doesn't know why he threw the rock that day in the woods. He didn't mean for the girl to fall and break her arm. But he's blamed anyway.
Enraged at how unfair life is, Hex runs into the woods and finds himself in a strange clearing-a clearing that can't possibly exist-where a strange old woman offers him a she'll rid the world of those who wronged him. All he has to do is accept and they'll be forgotten, forever. But what Hex doesn't know is that someone else has been offered the same deal.
When Hex's best friend Tommo wakes up the next day, something feels wrong. Half-whispered memories tug at his brain, making him think that something-or someone-is missing from his life. Can Tommo put the world back the way it was? Or can he find a way to make a new world that could be better for them all?
This unforgettable story, complete with lush black-and-white illustrations throughout, explores how we can find the strength to face down in the darkness, in our friends, and in our selves.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published August 4, 2022
21 people are currently reading
806 people want to read
About the author
A.F. Harrold
37 books126 followersA.F. Harrold is an English poet. He writes and performs for adults and children, in cabaret and in schools, in bars and in basements, in fields and indoors. He was Glastonbury Festival Website's Poet-In-Residence in 2008, and Poet-In-Residence at Cheltenham Literature Festival in 2010. He won the Cheltenham All Stars Slam Championship in 2007 and has had his work on BBC Radio 4, Radio 3 and BBC7. He is active in schools work, running workshops and slams and doing performances at ungodly hours of the morning, and has published several collections of poetry. He is the owner of many books, a handful of hats, a few good ideas and one beard
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews
September 19, 2023
✰ 3.5 stars ✰
“How many timelines, how many other versions of the world, had there been? Who had been friends with whom? What stories had been told that had been lost forever?
How many throws of the dice did you get?”
If someone were to ask me what I thought of A.F. Harrold's The World We Leave Behind, I would be at a loss of words. I am at a loss of words, because even though it was a hauntingly dark and captivating tale, but the ending - it still left me with such a profound sadness of incompleteness. Frustrated that this was how the author chose to end it - with a poignant message that belies the meaning 'be careful what you wish for'. - you never know what you will lose in exchange for a vengeful wish granted out of spite and hate. 😔
And these are the thoughts that challenged me as I read. What would you do if someone were to ask you to make a wish to exact your revenge on someone who has wronged you? To rid the world of their existence, simply because they deserve it, would you take it? To have a chance at another life where everything is better than the life you lead? 😟 To have a life without the 'thoughts that fought each other and the biggest and hardest ones won, and weren’t always kind'? What would you give in exchange for that wish granted? What balances would have to be restored in the world in order for one person to right the wrong? What memories would you sacrifice - what relationships would you let go - to have that chance?
These are the lingering questions that challenge the young boys of this story - Hex, 'ill-fated and ill-stared', and Tommo, Tommo and Jayce - 'they'd been a pair since day one', inseparable since always - 'after ten years or so, they were still best mates' - until one fateful incident forever tampers the very balance of these friendships. 😔 When Hex - 'short for Hector' - wanders into the forest, determined and set on revenge for the pains of shame and humiliation he felt at the hands of others, for 'there is no Band-Aid for that, no salve or bandage or cold compress that can soothe a stunned ego' - makes a deal with a witch to change the past - only for Tommo and Jayce to wake up the next morning - without any recollection of Hex, whatsoever. What follows is this gripping and tragic tale of how far Tommo will go to fix the errors of one's mistakes, and at what cost, we are willing to change our own lives, for the sake of others.❤️🩹❤️🩹
In a captivating mix of writing that was as atmospheric as the stunning illustrations that accompanied it, I was pulled into the imagery of the idea the author had created. Eerie and cryptic, the story held my hand as it guided me from Hex's thoughts to Tommo's keen understanding that something was amiss - that Jayce could not only be the best friend that resided in the corners of his memories. It was a unique blend of fantasy meets reality that had this ephemeral feel to it - that with the lure of dark imagination and the crack of an acorn - all your wishes could come true. 👍🏻👍🏻
The temptation was as alluring as the sinister way in how the witch of the forest coaxed the children to accept her offer, but with a warning still - 'our gift is not to be taken lightly. Never let it be said we encouraged you, or rushed you, or forced you. No, no.' She molded her words to soothe their appetite - quench their thirst for revenge - all with her own hidden intentions behind her actions. 😰
“Excessive would be to leave revenge to the humans. That way it never ends. The tit for tat, the back and forth, the endless feud. An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, and a child for a child, leaves the world eyeless, toothless, and childless.
But where we can . . . where we’re asked . . . Leafy and I make a single snip, one small excision, and the cycle of revenge stops turning at the first turn. We help the world. We save it.”
I wanted to reach into the story and pull each of the boys away from her and Leafy, that big black dog, that amassed all their fears and desires. I haven't read something quite like this before - maybe, that's why I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected. The story did take a couple of turns I found rather unbelievable - not enough to convince me for the rationality of it - but I realized, it doesn't matter. The message of this almost allegoric-like tale is to warn readers of what not to do - that this is a seed of thought that we cannot allow to let us devour our own ill-meaning intentions. It's a little bit abstract in explanation - considering it's a Middle Grade, but the force of it's meaning hit me hard. 😟
When with a sweeping and riveting turn, the narrative switches from Hex to Tommo - and the action-packed struggle for finding the key to restore the worlds began, it was as heart-breaking as the conclusion to the story. One that made me feel like perhaps, I was missing pages to the story - that it could not possibly be an open ending - what would be the point of Tommo's struggle - his battle with Missus - his attempt to restore the friendships and memories he had lost?
And that was when I really felt that this was the lesson to be learned from what took place. Life with it's infinite do-overs will still make you lose what you hold dear - if you don't learn to live with the feelings and moments that shape who you are. 🥺
“(How real are you if no one thinks about you? If no one remembers you?)
He’d tried to say this, to explain the knots and confusions the questions tied him up in, but no one else seemed to feel the same trouble, or they simply didn’t understand.
(It was perfectly possible to have friends and still be utterly lonely.)”
I must mention the black and white illustrations; they were stunning, just visually striking and beautifully creative in capturing the Grimm fairy-tale-esque feeling to the worlds we leave behind. 🌿 Absolutely lush in detail in invoking not only the darkness that haunts the forest, but the darkness that shrouds the characters, that haunts their lives. Levi Pinfold's interpretation of Missus, the witch in the forest, was breathtaking - with the hint of macabre to her appearance that truly chilled me to my core. Just take a look at the intricate details of her depiction - a glimpse into her eyes - almost as if they're staring directly at you. 🤌🏼🤌🏼
And at the heart of this story - there is also a beautiful story of friendship - the friends we make, the friends we lose, the memories some of us only cling onto, the ones we'll never have a chance to make. I teared up at the ending - not because there was no clear-cut ending, but when Tommo meets Jayce again - in another lifetime, in another world 'this new, older Jayce that did not recognize him for the friends they were, was heart-breaking. And it broke my heart even more, when he thanked him for helping his sister in that incident where it all began, all Tommo heard in his 'Thank you' was 'Thank you for having been my friend in a world you don’t remember, when you were someone else entirely.' 😢
Is that not so beautifully sad? 💔💔 That for all the right decisions Tommo had to make to restore the balance - it was all that he lost that mattered. I felt so empty - void of the happiness that even with the brave front Tommo had to put on, he would always remember. And it would haunt him forever - and I wanted then to ask the author if he would continue this story. That there was a chance to go back to the way things were before - to restore the memories of what was. But, a part of me knows that this is the message he wants to leave us with - life doesn't give you do-overs - that we have to make the most of what we have and the mistakes we make in the lifetime that we have been given. 🙏🏻🙏🏻
“For now is the best we can ever do. There’s always another threat round the corner, but we face it, deal with it, and then we face the one after that . .
It’s what it means to be human, Thomas, dealing with the problem in front of you.”
“How many timelines, how many other versions of the world, had there been? Who had been friends with whom? What stories had been told that had been lost forever?
How many throws of the dice did you get?”
If someone were to ask me what I thought of A.F. Harrold's The World We Leave Behind, I would be at a loss of words. I am at a loss of words, because even though it was a hauntingly dark and captivating tale, but the ending - it still left me with such a profound sadness of incompleteness. Frustrated that this was how the author chose to end it - with a poignant message that belies the meaning 'be careful what you wish for'. - you never know what you will lose in exchange for a vengeful wish granted out of spite and hate. 😔
And these are the thoughts that challenged me as I read. What would you do if someone were to ask you to make a wish to exact your revenge on someone who has wronged you? To rid the world of their existence, simply because they deserve it, would you take it? To have a chance at another life where everything is better than the life you lead? 😟 To have a life without the 'thoughts that fought each other and the biggest and hardest ones won, and weren’t always kind'? What would you give in exchange for that wish granted? What balances would have to be restored in the world in order for one person to right the wrong? What memories would you sacrifice - what relationships would you let go - to have that chance?
These are the lingering questions that challenge the young boys of this story - Hex, 'ill-fated and ill-stared', and Tommo, Tommo and Jayce - 'they'd been a pair since day one', inseparable since always - 'after ten years or so, they were still best mates' - until one fateful incident forever tampers the very balance of these friendships. 😔 When Hex - 'short for Hector' - wanders into the forest, determined and set on revenge for the pains of shame and humiliation he felt at the hands of others, for 'there is no Band-Aid for that, no salve or bandage or cold compress that can soothe a stunned ego' - makes a deal with a witch to change the past - only for Tommo and Jayce to wake up the next morning - without any recollection of Hex, whatsoever. What follows is this gripping and tragic tale of how far Tommo will go to fix the errors of one's mistakes, and at what cost, we are willing to change our own lives, for the sake of others.❤️🩹❤️🩹
In a captivating mix of writing that was as atmospheric as the stunning illustrations that accompanied it, I was pulled into the imagery of the idea the author had created. Eerie and cryptic, the story held my hand as it guided me from Hex's thoughts to Tommo's keen understanding that something was amiss - that Jayce could not only be the best friend that resided in the corners of his memories. It was a unique blend of fantasy meets reality that had this ephemeral feel to it - that with the lure of dark imagination and the crack of an acorn - all your wishes could come true. 👍🏻👍🏻
The temptation was as alluring as the sinister way in how the witch of the forest coaxed the children to accept her offer, but with a warning still - 'our gift is not to be taken lightly. Never let it be said we encouraged you, or rushed you, or forced you. No, no.' She molded her words to soothe their appetite - quench their thirst for revenge - all with her own hidden intentions behind her actions. 😰
“Excessive would be to leave revenge to the humans. That way it never ends. The tit for tat, the back and forth, the endless feud. An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, and a child for a child, leaves the world eyeless, toothless, and childless.
But where we can . . . where we’re asked . . . Leafy and I make a single snip, one small excision, and the cycle of revenge stops turning at the first turn. We help the world. We save it.”
I wanted to reach into the story and pull each of the boys away from her and Leafy, that big black dog, that amassed all their fears and desires. I haven't read something quite like this before - maybe, that's why I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected. The story did take a couple of turns I found rather unbelievable - not enough to convince me for the rationality of it - but I realized, it doesn't matter. The message of this almost allegoric-like tale is to warn readers of what not to do - that this is a seed of thought that we cannot allow to let us devour our own ill-meaning intentions. It's a little bit abstract in explanation - considering it's a Middle Grade, but the force of it's meaning hit me hard. 😟
When with a sweeping and riveting turn, the narrative switches from Hex to Tommo - and the action-packed struggle for finding the key to restore the worlds began, it was as heart-breaking as the conclusion to the story. One that made me feel like perhaps, I was missing pages to the story - that it could not possibly be an open ending - what would be the point of Tommo's struggle - his battle with Missus - his attempt to restore the friendships and memories he had lost?
And that was when I really felt that this was the lesson to be learned from what took place. Life with it's infinite do-overs will still make you lose what you hold dear - if you don't learn to live with the feelings and moments that shape who you are. 🥺
“(How real are you if no one thinks about you? If no one remembers you?)
He’d tried to say this, to explain the knots and confusions the questions tied him up in, but no one else seemed to feel the same trouble, or they simply didn’t understand.
(It was perfectly possible to have friends and still be utterly lonely.)”
I must mention the black and white illustrations; they were stunning, just visually striking and beautifully creative in capturing the Grimm fairy-tale-esque feeling to the worlds we leave behind. 🌿 Absolutely lush in detail in invoking not only the darkness that haunts the forest, but the darkness that shrouds the characters, that haunts their lives. Levi Pinfold's interpretation of Missus, the witch in the forest, was breathtaking - with the hint of macabre to her appearance that truly chilled me to my core. Just take a look at the intricate details of her depiction - a glimpse into her eyes - almost as if they're staring directly at you. 🤌🏼🤌🏼
And at the heart of this story - there is also a beautiful story of friendship - the friends we make, the friends we lose, the memories some of us only cling onto, the ones we'll never have a chance to make. I teared up at the ending - not because there was no clear-cut ending, but when Tommo meets Jayce again - in another lifetime, in another world 'this new, older Jayce that did not recognize him for the friends they were, was heart-breaking. And it broke my heart even more, when he thanked him for helping his sister in that incident where it all began, all Tommo heard in his 'Thank you' was 'Thank you for having been my friend in a world you don’t remember, when you were someone else entirely.' 😢
Is that not so beautifully sad? 💔💔 That for all the right decisions Tommo had to make to restore the balance - it was all that he lost that mattered. I felt so empty - void of the happiness that even with the brave front Tommo had to put on, he would always remember. And it would haunt him forever - and I wanted then to ask the author if he would continue this story. That there was a chance to go back to the way things were before - to restore the memories of what was. But, a part of me knows that this is the message he wants to leave us with - life doesn't give you do-overs - that we have to make the most of what we have and the mistakes we make in the lifetime that we have been given. 🙏🏻🙏🏻
“For now is the best we can ever do. There’s always another threat round the corner, but we face it, deal with it, and then we face the one after that . .
It’s what it means to be human, Thomas, dealing with the problem in front of you.”
October 5, 2023
An unexpected read that delves into dark fairytale territory. An interesting middle grade read involving shifting realities and picking up the pieces after disaster strikes.
September 21, 2022
If you had the chance to remove a person from your life would you do it?
Hex (Hector) grapples with this offer in A.F. Harrold’s “The Worlds We Leave Behind,” a middle grade children’s story punctuated with lush black and white illustrations. Hex and Tommo are best friends but one day an incident happens that changes their lives. After the incident Hex stumbles upon a strange cottage, where an old woman lives with her dog. Here, she gives him a chance to go back in time and change things.
I was pulled into this captivating tale right from page one with its poignant take on friendship. Harrold poses questions in different ways to set us thinking too – how can you go about forgiving someone? How far would you go to forget things? How can you overcome feelings like shame and guilt? Heavy stuff but presented well enough that you don’t feel their weight.
A.F. Harrold has a vibrant imagination and he flaunts it in this story. He has found that intensely sweet spot where science-fiction, fantasy, and reality merge to make an irresistible narrative with an otherworldly feel. Many times, this felt like a melange of the tv shows “Stranger Things” and “Dark,” with a similarly haunting atmosphere and where nostalgia comes into play. It’s also timeless, literally, with no indication of the year or decade in which it is set.
I think this was a great read that hit the spot on many levels. And the illustrations were simply gorgeous too!
Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing for the ARC.
Hex (Hector) grapples with this offer in A.F. Harrold’s “The Worlds We Leave Behind,” a middle grade children’s story punctuated with lush black and white illustrations. Hex and Tommo are best friends but one day an incident happens that changes their lives. After the incident Hex stumbles upon a strange cottage, where an old woman lives with her dog. Here, she gives him a chance to go back in time and change things.
I was pulled into this captivating tale right from page one with its poignant take on friendship. Harrold poses questions in different ways to set us thinking too – how can you go about forgiving someone? How far would you go to forget things? How can you overcome feelings like shame and guilt? Heavy stuff but presented well enough that you don’t feel their weight.
A.F. Harrold has a vibrant imagination and he flaunts it in this story. He has found that intensely sweet spot where science-fiction, fantasy, and reality merge to make an irresistible narrative with an otherworldly feel. Many times, this felt like a melange of the tv shows “Stranger Things” and “Dark,” with a similarly haunting atmosphere and where nostalgia comes into play. It’s also timeless, literally, with no indication of the year or decade in which it is set.
I think this was a great read that hit the spot on many levels. And the illustrations were simply gorgeous too!
Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing for the ARC.
June 16, 2023
Absolutely brilliant. I have never read a book which captures the flaws and the beauty of being human and growing up so well. When Hector causes an accident, he feels the consequences he faces are unjust. He runs away into the woods and encounters a strange old lady in a cottage. She offers him a chance of vengeance: she can literally make those who wronged him disappear. But Hector isn't the only one seeking revenge...A day later, Hector's best friend Tommo wakes up. Everything seems normal at first....but why does he experience fleeting memories of a boy called Hector? Later that day, Tommo is on the scene of an accident in the woods. Fleeing the scene, hurt by someone he considered a friend, he encounters a strange old lady in a cottage...
This book was delightfully uncanny at times, and pretty terrifying at others. But it is also full of friendship and the freedom of childhood summers, and families both loving and damaged.
It is also a sort of sequel to The Song From Somewhere Else, featuring a couple of characters from that story. I loved this, having read 'Song', but you do not need to have read 'Song' first to enjoy this book.
This book was delightfully uncanny at times, and pretty terrifying at others. But it is also full of friendship and the freedom of childhood summers, and families both loving and damaged.
It is also a sort of sequel to The Song From Somewhere Else, featuring a couple of characters from that story. I loved this, having read 'Song', but you do not need to have read 'Song' first to enjoy this book.
April 7, 2023
Okay, I really struggle with books that leave so much undecided at the end of them but I can’t really fault it because how else could this book have finished without it being totally in keeping with the rest of it?
It’s a creepy, intricate tale and I really enjoyed the details of it.
The moment between Tommo and other Jayce at the end was just perfect.
And the illustrations???? Bro, I wanna LIVE in them.
It’s a creepy, intricate tale and I really enjoyed the details of it.
The moment between Tommo and other Jayce at the end was just perfect.
And the illustrations???? Bro, I wanna LIVE in them.
June 1, 2023
strange and moving middle grade fantasy; a really powerful twist on the witch in the forest fairytale trope.
December 29, 2023
Different versions of the world, blips, deja vu … what a great book! The artwork is amazing (there are two pages I couldn’t wait to turn because they were so spooky and real (and seemed to look right through me!). Loved the ending. This book is for readers who love suspense, reality twists, and timeline ventures.
December 26, 2022
Stunning dark fairytale, perfectly creepy and wise
August 29, 2023
A good fantasty/sci-fi story. Quick read. Awesome use of illustration and black pages. Quite creepy at points, but really well done. The agent character seemed a bit like a lazy way to find a resolution, but no other complaints. Do recommend!
November 22, 2023
Do you remember how we were all made to read those "moral stories" as kids? Well, as a mom, a story teller and a book lady to the children of my city for several years now, I personally dislike those. They are preachy, they are oversimplified—a child did not listen and so they were taught a tough lesson—and they make reading boring.
Anything meant to be fun, but done with an agenda to 'teach a lesson,' generally never works very well with children.
The best kind of children's books are the ones that draw the kids in, that weave magic and adventure and friendship and love and laughter. And the lessons just become a part of the web woven so beautifully and intrinsically that when the reader arrives at them, they feel fantastic about having thought, analysed and drawn their own conclusions about the things the book made them feel and infer.
And that is exactly what The Worlds We Leave Behind does. It sets up the world so breathtakingly, you wouldn't want to step out of it. From cover to cover, and beyond. It talks about innocent little friendships, best mates forever, rope swings in the woods, laughter and tumbles. And then it takes you through a mysterious path thigh the woods—One of choices, and consequences. A path very every action has consequences that could change your entire world in good ways and bad, big ways and in small barely noticeable changes that only you would know.
Would you take that bargain?
Would you want to leave your current world behind?
Anything meant to be fun, but done with an agenda to 'teach a lesson,' generally never works very well with children.
The best kind of children's books are the ones that draw the kids in, that weave magic and adventure and friendship and love and laughter. And the lessons just become a part of the web woven so beautifully and intrinsically that when the reader arrives at them, they feel fantastic about having thought, analysed and drawn their own conclusions about the things the book made them feel and infer.
And that is exactly what The Worlds We Leave Behind does. It sets up the world so breathtakingly, you wouldn't want to step out of it. From cover to cover, and beyond. It talks about innocent little friendships, best mates forever, rope swings in the woods, laughter and tumbles. And then it takes you through a mysterious path thigh the woods—One of choices, and consequences. A path very every action has consequences that could change your entire world in good ways and bad, big ways and in small barely noticeable changes that only you would know.
Would you take that bargain?
Would you want to leave your current world behind?
April 27, 2023
I will say that the book is beautifully put together. The colour of the cover, the illustrations inside with black pages that added to the story. I just didn't enjoy the story itself.
July 13, 2025
"Hex had felt something in the world shift slightly to one side as he'd held the crossbar and Tommo had hoicked her up and helped her hook her legs over. First one, then the other" (p. 13)
I really enjoyed this book. It had echoes of Neil Gaiman's "The Ocean at the End of the Lane" for me. Something old, dark and magical at the heart of the story. There were many times when I wanted to highlight a line, or entire paragraph, because the writing was just so good. Harrold was conjuring this sense of some dark, forgotten power with every stroke of his pen, and I lapped it up. The illustrations by Levi Pinfold perfectly captured the darkness and the magic of the tale too; it was such a perfect collaboration.
The story is about mistakes, consequences of actions, retribution and revenge, to name a few. Although it is targeted at children, please don't allow this to make you think that there is nothing here for adults to enjoy. This is a powerful tale. There is a sense of unease, or malevolence bubbling along throughout, always never far away.
This is one book which will stay on my shelves, for me to come back to sometime in the future.
I really enjoyed this book. It had echoes of Neil Gaiman's "The Ocean at the End of the Lane" for me. Something old, dark and magical at the heart of the story. There were many times when I wanted to highlight a line, or entire paragraph, because the writing was just so good. Harrold was conjuring this sense of some dark, forgotten power with every stroke of his pen, and I lapped it up. The illustrations by Levi Pinfold perfectly captured the darkness and the magic of the tale too; it was such a perfect collaboration.
The story is about mistakes, consequences of actions, retribution and revenge, to name a few. Although it is targeted at children, please don't allow this to make you think that there is nothing here for adults to enjoy. This is a powerful tale. There is a sense of unease, or malevolence bubbling along throughout, always never far away.
This is one book which will stay on my shelves, for me to come back to sometime in the future.
September 6, 2022
An extremely powerful story about facing the consequences of your actions and the flaws and power that come with being human. Absolutely breathtaking illustrations and an eerie-ness that felt so real and raw. A book that all ages will enjoy. This was a fantastic mix of ‘The Invisible Life of Addie Larue’ and ‘Stranger Things’ mixed with classic grimms fairytale darkness.
November 19, 2022
Wow, a powerful book but with a dark, creepy and atmospheric edge.
The consequences of our actions is explored along with friendship, revenge, retribution and finally redemption. A story that totally puts you in and doesn't let you go!.
My thanks go to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the arc in return for a honest review.
The consequences of our actions is explored along with friendship, revenge, retribution and finally redemption. A story that totally puts you in and doesn't let you go!.
My thanks go to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the arc in return for a honest review.
December 25, 2023
Darkness creeps through this novel.
Such a compelling read! This and ‘The Song From Somewhere Else’ show us how brave young people can be when faced with an evil and I love that about them. The illustrations and terrifying but beautiful and I always couldn’t wait to get to the next one!
Such a compelling read! This and ‘The Song From Somewhere Else’ show us how brave young people can be when faced with an evil and I love that about them. The illustrations and terrifying but beautiful and I always couldn’t wait to get to the next one!
July 10, 2023
I really liked it, not sure if kids would..
December 27, 2023
Weird, magical, eerie, and strange. I went in with an open mind, and was still taken aback by this sequence of events. An incredibly unique idea that didn’t end how I wanted it to! lol Still, this idea will keep me up at night….wondering.
January 12, 2024
Wonderfully creative story of revenge, friendship and atonement.
September 14, 2024
Absolutely stunning illustrations and a solid storyline. The story starts incredibly strongly but Harrold doesn't quite stick the landing which is why it's not five stars, but it is a really impressive read.
Children's fiction #94
Children's fiction #94
April 18, 2023
I am so frustrated by this book.
Part of me feels like it was a waste of time, part of me wants more… but the ending, honestly, I don’t know whether I love it or hate it.
Part of me feels like it was a waste of time, part of me wants more… but the ending, honestly, I don’t know whether I love it or hate it.
July 29, 2022
The Worlds We Leave Behind is a story about friendship, retribution, and finding the strength to face down monsters, aimed at younger readers who enjoyed Stranger Things.
Enraged at how unfair life is, Hex runs into the woods and finds himself in a strange clearing that can't possibly exist where a strange old woman offers him a deal: she'll rid the world of those who wronged him. All he has to do is accept and they'll be forgotten, forever. But what Hex doesn't know is that someone else has been offered the same deal. When Hex's best friend Tommo wakes up the next day, half-whispered memories make him think that something-or someone-is missing from his life. He sets out to find a way to put the world back the way it was, or find a way to make a new world that could be better for them all.
This book was a wonderful read on so many levels for both middle grade and older readers. It has an almost nostalgic quality that both left me confused about which decade this book is set in and respecting the timeless feel. The illustrations are beautiful and haunting and are a perfect reflection of the book's mood. It truly does evoke the atmosphere and the themes of Stranger Things and also reminds me of select Neil Gaiman's works.
I think this book could've benefitted from being longer - the page count is incredibly limited for the amount of repetition that occurs in the plot and I was desperate for some new scenes as a break from the parts I'd already read. The repetition is impactful with the events that are occurring, but I just wanted more, more development to the main characters, more reasons to care about the side characters, more scenes that weren't directly related to the main plot.
I usually try to refrain from commenting on the formatting of the eARC because I know it's not a representation of the final product, but the formatting did severely impact my reading experience. Whole paragraphs were missing in places - I can only assume that they were covered by the images - and pages appeared to be in the wrong order at one point. I look forward to having the chance to read a physical copy of this book in the future so I can appreciate the illustrations in all their glory and not feel so lost about what went on in those missing sentences.
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5 stars)
Enraged at how unfair life is, Hex runs into the woods and finds himself in a strange clearing that can't possibly exist where a strange old woman offers him a deal: she'll rid the world of those who wronged him. All he has to do is accept and they'll be forgotten, forever. But what Hex doesn't know is that someone else has been offered the same deal. When Hex's best friend Tommo wakes up the next day, half-whispered memories make him think that something-or someone-is missing from his life. He sets out to find a way to put the world back the way it was, or find a way to make a new world that could be better for them all.
This book was a wonderful read on so many levels for both middle grade and older readers. It has an almost nostalgic quality that both left me confused about which decade this book is set in and respecting the timeless feel. The illustrations are beautiful and haunting and are a perfect reflection of the book's mood. It truly does evoke the atmosphere and the themes of Stranger Things and also reminds me of select Neil Gaiman's works.
I think this book could've benefitted from being longer - the page count is incredibly limited for the amount of repetition that occurs in the plot and I was desperate for some new scenes as a break from the parts I'd already read. The repetition is impactful with the events that are occurring, but I just wanted more, more development to the main characters, more reasons to care about the side characters, more scenes that weren't directly related to the main plot.
I usually try to refrain from commenting on the formatting of the eARC because I know it's not a representation of the final product, but the formatting did severely impact my reading experience. Whole paragraphs were missing in places - I can only assume that they were covered by the images - and pages appeared to be in the wrong order at one point. I look forward to having the chance to read a physical copy of this book in the future so I can appreciate the illustrations in all their glory and not feel so lost about what went on in those missing sentences.
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5 stars)
April 22, 2023
Many authors deserve way more recognition than they probably get, but none more so than the wonderful AF Harrold. He seems to be some sort of best kept ‘secret’ and in reality his Middle Grade fiction is so good it deserves to be front and centre in every bookshop than takes selling children’s fiction seriously. I’ve previously read or reviewed The Imaginary (2012), The Song From Somewhere Else (2016), and The Afterwards (2018) with Harrold now back with another beauty The Worlds We Leave Behind, which features on the Carnegie Medal Long List. All his books have a vaguely unsettling fairy-tale feel, often lonely children and pictures which are integral to the plot. They beautifully blend fantasy, childhood and more than a little taste of darkness and otherworldliness.
In The Worlds We Leave Behind Hex and his best friend Tommo are out fooling around in the local woods and let a younger tag along. When she is messing on the rope-swing Hex throws a stone and accidently hits her and she falls and breaks her arm. The two boys do not deal with the incident well and the story deals with the otherworldly repercussions as there is an old lady living in the woods which promises she can make things right again (but at what price?) At a certain point the story is seen from Tommo’s eyes and other realities are presented. I expect strangeness with Harrold and in this story it is pitched perfectly with the friendship between the two boys, who are obviously growing up at different speeds. A strange, moving and almost hypnotic tale of friendship and regret. AGE RANGE 10-13
In The Worlds We Leave Behind Hex and his best friend Tommo are out fooling around in the local woods and let a younger tag along. When she is messing on the rope-swing Hex throws a stone and accidently hits her and she falls and breaks her arm. The two boys do not deal with the incident well and the story deals with the otherworldly repercussions as there is an old lady living in the woods which promises she can make things right again (but at what price?) At a certain point the story is seen from Tommo’s eyes and other realities are presented. I expect strangeness with Harrold and in this story it is pitched perfectly with the friendship between the two boys, who are obviously growing up at different speeds. A strange, moving and almost hypnotic tale of friendship and regret. AGE RANGE 10-13
August 23, 2023
2.5 stars.
Stunning illustrations (I read the hardback, so overall, a beautiful piece to look at), however the writing didn't quite balance with appearances.
Stunning illustrations (I read the hardback, so overall, a beautiful piece to look at), however the writing didn't quite balance with appearances.
September 9, 2024
Such an interesting concept.
September 3, 2022
📚The Worlds We Leave Behind by A.F. Harrold📚
Hi everyone, Its Christopher the reader here, the book we are here to talk about tonight is 'The Worlds We Leave Behind'. This was my first read of A.F. Harrold's work. After reading this book I would like to give his other books a go, sometime in the future. I want to say a huge thank you to NetGalley for a copy of 'The Worlds We Leave Behind' in return for an honest review. I first read this book in September of this year, (2022) It took me a day to finish reading. This book rated reading age is 9-11 years. 'The Worlds We Leave Behind' is set to be published on the 21st of February in 2023. The book was told using third person with it following multiple points of view. (3) Which had 11 chapters, all together the book had 256 pages.
- I think the book was written pretty well. I thought that it had some good place and character detail. I think that younger me would have loved this book as a kid. I was obsessed with things like this. When reading I found it hard to put it down, I feel like it was quite a gripping story with good world building and the right level of creepy to it. I loved all the twists and turns that the book had. I loved the illustrations that was on many pages within the story. I love detailed art, and this was what the book had. When reading the book, it did remind me a bit about a TV Show called: Teen Wolf (2010-2017) The season with the ghost riders.
I feel that I would have liked it even more if the book was longer. I feel like if had been longer I would have liked to have read more scenes which included character development as I don't feel like we got to know them as much as I would have liked. for me I feel like having some side plots would help, scenes that weren't directly related to the main plot.
- The characters that the book had, for me felt relatable and also were likeable. I liked that the character's had some flaws and that they weren't perfect. I liked that one of the characters within the book stood up, with some help and shared their knowledge on what they know that was happening in the world. They took a type of responsibility and didn't just stay quiet on the matter. I also liked that we got to meet some new characters as the book went on.
- I think that 'The Worlds We Leave Behind' was a quick read. When I can, am going to get my hands on a hardback copy of the story. I can't wait to see it fully formatted with the illustrations in book form. The book ended on a cliff-hanger. I wanted to hear more of what happens next within the story. Part of me just wants this to be turned into a mini-series. I loved that this book was turned into an audible book as personally when I listen and read along, I find that I gain a deeper experience with the story. I would like it if this book was turned into a TV Show. If it ever does, I would definitely go and watch it.
For each Book that I read, I rate it out of 10 so for this am going to give it an 8.7. Remember this was what I thought about the book personally and I suggest that you give it a go for yourself.
Hi everyone, Its Christopher the reader here, the book we are here to talk about tonight is 'The Worlds We Leave Behind'. This was my first read of A.F. Harrold's work. After reading this book I would like to give his other books a go, sometime in the future. I want to say a huge thank you to NetGalley for a copy of 'The Worlds We Leave Behind' in return for an honest review. I first read this book in September of this year, (2022) It took me a day to finish reading. This book rated reading age is 9-11 years. 'The Worlds We Leave Behind' is set to be published on the 21st of February in 2023. The book was told using third person with it following multiple points of view. (3) Which had 11 chapters, all together the book had 256 pages.
- I think the book was written pretty well. I thought that it had some good place and character detail. I think that younger me would have loved this book as a kid. I was obsessed with things like this. When reading I found it hard to put it down, I feel like it was quite a gripping story with good world building and the right level of creepy to it. I loved all the twists and turns that the book had. I loved the illustrations that was on many pages within the story. I love detailed art, and this was what the book had. When reading the book, it did remind me a bit about a TV Show called: Teen Wolf (2010-2017) The season with the ghost riders.
I feel that I would have liked it even more if the book was longer. I feel like if had been longer I would have liked to have read more scenes which included character development as I don't feel like we got to know them as much as I would have liked. for me I feel like having some side plots would help, scenes that weren't directly related to the main plot.
- The characters that the book had, for me felt relatable and also were likeable. I liked that the character's had some flaws and that they weren't perfect. I liked that one of the characters within the book stood up, with some help and shared their knowledge on what they know that was happening in the world. They took a type of responsibility and didn't just stay quiet on the matter. I also liked that we got to meet some new characters as the book went on.
- I think that 'The Worlds We Leave Behind' was a quick read. When I can, am going to get my hands on a hardback copy of the story. I can't wait to see it fully formatted with the illustrations in book form. The book ended on a cliff-hanger. I wanted to hear more of what happens next within the story. Part of me just wants this to be turned into a mini-series. I loved that this book was turned into an audible book as personally when I listen and read along, I find that I gain a deeper experience with the story. I would like it if this book was turned into a TV Show. If it ever does, I would definitely go and watch it.
For each Book that I read, I rate it out of 10 so for this am going to give it an 8.7. Remember this was what I thought about the book personally and I suggest that you give it a go for yourself.
June 12, 2025
Although it’s a children’s book, I truly enjoyed it—especially the illustrations. With its short chapters and unique page design, it’s a quick and engaging read. The book contains elements of magical realism. Hex and Tommo have been best friends since they were babies; now they’re both 10 years old and practically inseparable. One day, while heading into the forest, they meet a younger girl named Sascha. She wants to join them and swing on the swing they've set up in the woods.
Hex is generally known as the school bully. He doesn’t always understand why he does what he does—he just wants to. While Sascha is on the swing, Hex starts throwing stones at her, and she falls, breaking her arm. After that, Tommo begins to distance himself from Hex. Meanwhile, Sascha’s older siblings aren’t ready to let it go; they begin to bully Hex in return. After a fight, Hex wakes up in a forest—but something’s different.
The book offers a journey that shifts between reality and an alternate world. As Hex begins to realize how one choice can affect the entire universe, the reader is confronted with themes like morality, identity, and responsibility. The writing is simple yet layered, and the illustrations enhance the overall atmosphere beautifully.
Hex is an easy character to empathize with—sometimes angry, sometimes lonely, but always deeply human. The side characters live in moral gray areas; they’re both right and wrong, which makes them feel more real.
This is a serious story about moral choices. It explores regret, revenge, and the possibility of redemption through an alternate reality. While it’s especially powerful for young readers—encouraging them to think not just about the consequences of actions, but how they unfold—it’s equally thought-provoking for adult readers too.
The language is simple but carries a poetic rhythm. Harrold’s writing, combined with Pinfold’s artwork, creates a haunting yet not overwhelming tone. That balance sets it apart from classic fantasy stories.
The emotional depth of the book is intense but quietly delivered. It captures childhood feelings of anger, remorse, and isolation in a deeply moving way. Hex’s turning point is seen through a child’s eyes, but it touches all ages—because the core issue isn’t just “doing something wrong,” but facing the question: What if I could take it back?
That question—“Would everything have changed if I had chosen differently?”—is one many of us have asked at least once in our lives. That’s what gives the story its mirror-like effect, reflecting not just Hex’s journey, but our own.
The depiction of the alternate world is both eerie and intriguing.
Books with a similar vibe:
• Coraline by Neil Gaiman – (dark alternate worlds, moral decisions)
• A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness – (child’s perspective on trauma, blurred line between fantasy and reality)
#parallelworlds #moralchoices #darkfairytale #whatifscenario #duality
Hex is generally known as the school bully. He doesn’t always understand why he does what he does—he just wants to. While Sascha is on the swing, Hex starts throwing stones at her, and she falls, breaking her arm. After that, Tommo begins to distance himself from Hex. Meanwhile, Sascha’s older siblings aren’t ready to let it go; they begin to bully Hex in return. After a fight, Hex wakes up in a forest—but something’s different.
The book offers a journey that shifts between reality and an alternate world. As Hex begins to realize how one choice can affect the entire universe, the reader is confronted with themes like morality, identity, and responsibility. The writing is simple yet layered, and the illustrations enhance the overall atmosphere beautifully.
Hex is an easy character to empathize with—sometimes angry, sometimes lonely, but always deeply human. The side characters live in moral gray areas; they’re both right and wrong, which makes them feel more real.
This is a serious story about moral choices. It explores regret, revenge, and the possibility of redemption through an alternate reality. While it’s especially powerful for young readers—encouraging them to think not just about the consequences of actions, but how they unfold—it’s equally thought-provoking for adult readers too.
The language is simple but carries a poetic rhythm. Harrold’s writing, combined with Pinfold’s artwork, creates a haunting yet not overwhelming tone. That balance sets it apart from classic fantasy stories.
The emotional depth of the book is intense but quietly delivered. It captures childhood feelings of anger, remorse, and isolation in a deeply moving way. Hex’s turning point is seen through a child’s eyes, but it touches all ages—because the core issue isn’t just “doing something wrong,” but facing the question: What if I could take it back?
That question—“Would everything have changed if I had chosen differently?”—is one many of us have asked at least once in our lives. That’s what gives the story its mirror-like effect, reflecting not just Hex’s journey, but our own.
The depiction of the alternate world is both eerie and intriguing.
Books with a similar vibe:
• Coraline by Neil Gaiman – (dark alternate worlds, moral decisions)
• A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness – (child’s perspective on trauma, blurred line between fantasy and reality)
#parallelworlds #moralchoices #darkfairytale #whatifscenario #duality
November 20, 2022
Hex (Hector), doesn't know why he does the stupid things he does. They just happen - without thought or planning. Sure he ends up in the principal's office more than he should and he makes other children cry, but he doesn't really mean to.
When it happens again down at the rope swing in the middle of the forest near his home, he wonders how it snuck up on him again.
A young girl named Sascha had followed him and his best friend Tommo into the forest. They told her she couldn't come, but she followed anyway, keen to do what they were doing. But before Hex knew it, the girl was lying in the creek bed with her arm looking strange and her cries ringing out.
He knew he shouldn't have thrown the stone...
Tommo runs for help. Hex runs away. He shouldn't have done that either...
When he and Tommo return to the swing, Sascha's older sister is ready for them. Hex comes off second best, bruised and sore. He runs again, only to find himself in an unfamiliar clearing. A small cottage sits in the centre and an old woman welcomes him inside. She cleans up his cuts and then offers something strange. She believes revenge is called for. An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth. She can arrange it. All Hex has to do is crush an acorn she offers him, and the bully will vanish!
This time, Hex puts some thought into it and what's happened to him. Should he fight back? Does the old woman really mean it? But then it's too late to decide and revenge is served anyway.
This is my favourite kind of story where magic is rolled into the fabric of everyday life. Best friends Tommo and Hex are hanging out when a small girl is injured, but worse things are yet to come. Both boys are caught up in a world which can swallow people and erase everything they have ever done or affected in their lives.
Decisions are made, both good and bad, friendships blend and blur, and a little girl in the centre of it all smiles throughout.
A spellbinding story of multiple worlds determined by the people who live in them. Magic realism at its very best, by my very favourite award winning and exceptionally talented duo.
When it happens again down at the rope swing in the middle of the forest near his home, he wonders how it snuck up on him again.
A young girl named Sascha had followed him and his best friend Tommo into the forest. They told her she couldn't come, but she followed anyway, keen to do what they were doing. But before Hex knew it, the girl was lying in the creek bed with her arm looking strange and her cries ringing out.
He knew he shouldn't have thrown the stone...
Tommo runs for help. Hex runs away. He shouldn't have done that either...
When he and Tommo return to the swing, Sascha's older sister is ready for them. Hex comes off second best, bruised and sore. He runs again, only to find himself in an unfamiliar clearing. A small cottage sits in the centre and an old woman welcomes him inside. She cleans up his cuts and then offers something strange. She believes revenge is called for. An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth. She can arrange it. All Hex has to do is crush an acorn she offers him, and the bully will vanish!
This time, Hex puts some thought into it and what's happened to him. Should he fight back? Does the old woman really mean it? But then it's too late to decide and revenge is served anyway.
This is my favourite kind of story where magic is rolled into the fabric of everyday life. Best friends Tommo and Hex are hanging out when a small girl is injured, but worse things are yet to come. Both boys are caught up in a world which can swallow people and erase everything they have ever done or affected in their lives.
Decisions are made, both good and bad, friendships blend and blur, and a little girl in the centre of it all smiles throughout.
A spellbinding story of multiple worlds determined by the people who live in them. Magic realism at its very best, by my very favourite award winning and exceptionally talented duo.
October 10, 2025
The Worlds We Leave Behind by A.F. Harrold, illustrated by Levi Pinfold
When Hex wakes up on a normal Monday morning, he doesn’t realise that the world as he knows it is about to change forever. It all started with a rock he threw, knocking a little girl off a tree swing, resulting in a broken arm. Brimming with anger, guilt and shame, Hex runs away into the forest where he comes upon a clearing that he has never seen before, even though he knows the woods so well, having grown up surrounded by them.
In the clearing is a cottage housing a witch and her dog, Leafy. The witch offers him a gift of revenge to remove those who have wronged him forever.
“You’ve been hurt. Fallen and bruised, and humiliated in battle. But you have the chance to right that wrong, Hector. One word from you and we shall clip them from this world. That is Leafy’s gift. Our gift to you. A simple thing.”
Hex is lonely and vulnerable, and her offer does sound very favourable to him at that particular moment.
“(How real are you if no one thinks about you? If no one remembers you?)
He’d tried to say this, to explain the knots and confusions the questions tied him up in, but no one else seemed to feel the same trouble, or they simply didn’t understand.
(It was perfectly possible to have friends and still be utterly lonely.)”
What Hex doesn’t know is that the witch has offered this deal to someone else. What follows is an intense and captivating determination to reverse the changes that have taken place and to right the world back to its original state before it’s too late.
As soon as I opened the first page, I could feel the eeriness pouring out, made more intense by the fantastic black-and-white illustrations by Pinfold and the atmosphere outlined so wonderfully by Harold. The descriptions of the cold, creepy woods and the night as the rain fell heavily, along with the portrayal of this terrifying woman standing in the doorway of her dark cottage, captivated me so readily that I felt my heart stop.
I loved how passionate these characters were, and the plot was so interesting. I was surprised by the ending, especially as the book is a young adult novel, in that it wasn’t the wrapped-up happy ending I was expecting, but I still enjoyed it. This is a poignant yet haunting book about friendship, revenge, appreciating what you have, and also being careful what you wish for.
When Hex wakes up on a normal Monday morning, he doesn’t realise that the world as he knows it is about to change forever. It all started with a rock he threw, knocking a little girl off a tree swing, resulting in a broken arm. Brimming with anger, guilt and shame, Hex runs away into the forest where he comes upon a clearing that he has never seen before, even though he knows the woods so well, having grown up surrounded by them.
In the clearing is a cottage housing a witch and her dog, Leafy. The witch offers him a gift of revenge to remove those who have wronged him forever.
“You’ve been hurt. Fallen and bruised, and humiliated in battle. But you have the chance to right that wrong, Hector. One word from you and we shall clip them from this world. That is Leafy’s gift. Our gift to you. A simple thing.”
Hex is lonely and vulnerable, and her offer does sound very favourable to him at that particular moment.
“(How real are you if no one thinks about you? If no one remembers you?)
He’d tried to say this, to explain the knots and confusions the questions tied him up in, but no one else seemed to feel the same trouble, or they simply didn’t understand.
(It was perfectly possible to have friends and still be utterly lonely.)”
What Hex doesn’t know is that the witch has offered this deal to someone else. What follows is an intense and captivating determination to reverse the changes that have taken place and to right the world back to its original state before it’s too late.
As soon as I opened the first page, I could feel the eeriness pouring out, made more intense by the fantastic black-and-white illustrations by Pinfold and the atmosphere outlined so wonderfully by Harold. The descriptions of the cold, creepy woods and the night as the rain fell heavily, along with the portrayal of this terrifying woman standing in the doorway of her dark cottage, captivated me so readily that I felt my heart stop.
I loved how passionate these characters were, and the plot was so interesting. I was surprised by the ending, especially as the book is a young adult novel, in that it wasn’t the wrapped-up happy ending I was expecting, but I still enjoyed it. This is a poignant yet haunting book about friendship, revenge, appreciating what you have, and also being careful what you wish for.
January 21, 2023
First sentence: Hex wasn't entirely sure how the girl had come to be hurt. That morning he and Tommo had got on their bikes and they'd headed over the train tracks and down the hill, down to the woods. On a map, the woods were a fat finger pointing away from town.
Premise/plot: Twilight Zone times ten--that's how I'd describe A.F. Harrold's The Worlds We Leave Behind. It begins with two friends--Hex (short for Hector) and Tommo (short for Thomas) hanging out together. They had absolutely NO plans at all of hanging out with a "baby" (Sascha). But this neighbor-kid, Sascha, tags along despite the two trying their hardest to get rid of her. (Who wants to be responsible for a strange neighbor kid in the woods??? Certainly not these two.) Playing on a rope swing turns tragic--in more ways than one. She falls off the swing and breaks her arm--it is way more complicated than that...and the world (yes, the world) will never be the same.
Be careful who you meet in the woods. That's all I have to say about that. I know the jacket flap goes into much more detail....but why purposefully spill twists and turns?????
My thoughts: The Worlds We Leave Behind is certainly atmospheric and creepy. It isn't just horror lite. I think it could qualify as horror-horror. The pace was quick and intense. The premise and plot--stranger danger times a thousand--is uniquely odd and strangely familiar. It does feel like a blend of horror and fairy tale.
Sensitive readers might want to stay away. But for upper elementary grades and middle school who are looking for something spooky/scary/suspenseful/mysterious packed with twists and turns...this one might be a good fit. I do recommend it for adults who are nostalgic for the Twilight Zone.
Premise/plot: Twilight Zone times ten--that's how I'd describe A.F. Harrold's The Worlds We Leave Behind. It begins with two friends--Hex (short for Hector) and Tommo (short for Thomas) hanging out together. They had absolutely NO plans at all of hanging out with a "baby" (Sascha). But this neighbor-kid, Sascha, tags along despite the two trying their hardest to get rid of her. (Who wants to be responsible for a strange neighbor kid in the woods??? Certainly not these two.) Playing on a rope swing turns tragic--in more ways than one. She falls off the swing and breaks her arm--it is way more complicated than that...and the world (yes, the world) will never be the same.
Be careful who you meet in the woods. That's all I have to say about that. I know the jacket flap goes into much more detail....but why purposefully spill twists and turns?????
My thoughts: The Worlds We Leave Behind is certainly atmospheric and creepy. It isn't just horror lite. I think it could qualify as horror-horror. The pace was quick and intense. The premise and plot--stranger danger times a thousand--is uniquely odd and strangely familiar. It does feel like a blend of horror and fairy tale.
Sensitive readers might want to stay away. But for upper elementary grades and middle school who are looking for something spooky/scary/suspenseful/mysterious packed with twists and turns...this one might be a good fit. I do recommend it for adults who are nostalgic for the Twilight Zone.
May 31, 2025
I finished ‘The Worlds We Leave Behind’ by AF Harrd last night, having read it pretty much in one go.
It’s a really tough one to write about without giving stuff away. So forgive this cagey, weird bit of writing!
I was gripped by this dark fairytale of a story and even more so by the way the story is told. I loved the way the narrative baton is passed between characters as time is rewoven. There are revolutions and evolutions in the children’s worlds (& who knows how many wider lives) but the story keeps being told.
It’s such an interesting take on the fallible narrator- I know, I know all narrators are unreliable BUT some are more unreliable than others. Like these guys here. And what do we expect when their world has been magically altered over night- people written out of the story- and nothing feels as it was. You have someone’s name on the tip of your tongue but you’re not sure why. Your parents are weird new incarnations of who they were. And you have to tell the new story. Picking up with some of the old but also incorporating the new.
The structure is the total star of this novel. I gasped completely at the way repetition was used at one point when the world first changes to signal so clearly and powerfully what had happened.
It’s a dark and twisted cautionary tale, like all of the best fairytales. Be careful what you wish for, you can’t cheat fate, you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone. But there’s not just dark magic at play here; there’s science fiction too. Quantum physics and witchcraft- the hyper modern interacting with the ancient.
The incredible illustrations by Levi Pinfold and the book’s overall design further enhance the reading experience.
It’s a really tough one to write about without giving stuff away. So forgive this cagey, weird bit of writing!
I was gripped by this dark fairytale of a story and even more so by the way the story is told. I loved the way the narrative baton is passed between characters as time is rewoven. There are revolutions and evolutions in the children’s worlds (& who knows how many wider lives) but the story keeps being told.
It’s such an interesting take on the fallible narrator- I know, I know all narrators are unreliable BUT some are more unreliable than others. Like these guys here. And what do we expect when their world has been magically altered over night- people written out of the story- and nothing feels as it was. You have someone’s name on the tip of your tongue but you’re not sure why. Your parents are weird new incarnations of who they were. And you have to tell the new story. Picking up with some of the old but also incorporating the new.
The structure is the total star of this novel. I gasped completely at the way repetition was used at one point when the world first changes to signal so clearly and powerfully what had happened.
It’s a dark and twisted cautionary tale, like all of the best fairytales. Be careful what you wish for, you can’t cheat fate, you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone. But there’s not just dark magic at play here; there’s science fiction too. Quantum physics and witchcraft- the hyper modern interacting with the ancient.
The incredible illustrations by Levi Pinfold and the book’s overall design further enhance the reading experience.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews