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Summary
Summary
From rising star Shakirah Bourne, author of Josephine Against the Sea , comes a mysterious adventure that explores one of the most chilling tales in Caribbean mythology: the faceless douen children.
Twelve year-old Serenity Noah has never told anyone about her recurring nightmares -- the haunting images of silver butterflies whose flapping wings drive away all sound, leaving only suffocating silence in their wake. Her parents already favor her "perfect" younger brother, Peace, and she doesn't want to be seen as the "problem" child.
Instead, Serenity's found a productive way to channel her fears: creating a horror movie as scary as her nightmares.
When Peace suddenly becomes afraid of the dark and refuses to sleep alone, their parents take him away for "treatment" on Duppy Island. Serenity has a very bad feeling about the mysterious island and the facility's creepy leader, Dr. Whisper. And when she sees a silver butterfly from her nightmares in the forbidden forest she realizes that something is seriously, dangerously awry.
But nothing could've prepared Serenity for the truth: the island is home to douens -- faceless children with backward feet who are trapped in limbo between the world of the living and the land of the dead. And unless Serenity acts soon, her brother is going to join their ranks...
Author Notes
Shakirah Bourne is a Bajan author and filmmaker born and based in Barbados. She once shot a movie scene in a cave with bats during an earthquake, but is too scared to watch horror movies. She enjoys exploring old graveyards, daydreaming, and eating mangoes. Learn more at shakirahbourne.com.
Reviews (2)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Horror movie--obsessed Serenity Noah, a Black 12-year-old, longs to meet a monster scarier than the ones in her recurring nightmares. But her passions and boisterous personality often make her feel out of place in her soft-spoken family, especially compared to her calm, artistic younger brother Peace. When Peace suddenly develops his own night terrors, her parents blame Serenity's monster flicks, and plan a trip to a silent retreat on Duppy Island--a locale that Serenity believes harbors malicious spirits--to cure his nightmares without her. Determined not to be left behind, Serenity stows away on the next boat to Duppy Island; once there, she encounters the creatures from her dreams. That's not the only worrying thing she uncovers, however: the retreat's shady director seems eager to get her off the island, a forgetting spell has befallen the rest of the adults, and douens--faceless children with backward feet--are haunting the land. Even as she faces fears of her own, Serenity endeavors to save Peace from the island's horrors. Occasionally awkward worldbuilding dampens the anticipatory atmosphere, but Bourne (Josephine Against the Sea) nevertheless delivers a chilling adventure steeped in Afro-Caribbean mythology that teems with twists, turns, and propulsive action. Ages 8--12. (June)
Kirkus Review
A 12-year-old discovers more than she bargained for as she determinedly faces her fears. Serenity Noah is a Black girl from "a mysterious Caribbean island" who's plagued by a recurring nightmare. Consequently, she's decided to face her fears, developing an obsession with horror movies and even making her own with the help of her younger brother, Peace. Calm, well-behaved Peace is the opposite of Serenity, whose loud voice makes her soft-spoken parents anxious. That is, until the day when Peace has a screaming meltdown; later he says shadows called his name and were trying to take him away. Now he's unable to sleep alone. Serenity's parents take him away for a silent retreat on Duppy Island, alarming Serenity--after all, duppies are "malicious spirits that haunt people at night." She stows away on a boat and, arriving on the island, uncovers secrets that both excite and scare her about Dr. Whisper, who is running the retreat; evil douens, faceless spirits of children; and her own ancestral lineage. Bourne's sophomore novel for young readers delivers a thrilling storyline filled with twists and turns. Readers will be captivated by Serenity's voice, original perspective, curiosity, and bravery as they eagerly follow her journey. A horror story with strong appeal for fans of the genre featuring a bold, intriguing protagonist. (Paranormal. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
