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Content snapshot
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Violence
Some
Fantasy horror violence; the house is genuinely dangerous and children are harmed
Language
None
No profanity
Sexual Content
None
No sexual content
Substance Use
None
No substance use
Emotional Intensity
A lot
The psychological horror of a paradise that is actually a trap — and what it takes from you — is unsettling even in this more restrained Barker
What this book is about
Clive Barker's middle-grade fantasy follows Harvey Swick, a boy who is lured to Mr. Hood's Holiday House, where it's always summer and every wish is granted. Gradually Harvey realizes that the house is feeding on something, and he must find a way to escape. Barker — known for extreme adult horror — wrote this for younger readers, but the psychological darkness is genuine. More appropriate for older middle-grade readers and above.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Children endangered by supernatural predator
Dark fairy tale themes
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