The Road to Ever After

Starred review from September 18, 2017
Davy David lives in the shadows of Brownvale, a down-on-its-luck town ruled by the ominous Parson Fall. Davy surreptitiously scratches dirt angels in the wee hours, until an unfortunate encounter with the reverend forces him to skip town. Coincidentally, town recluse (and supposed witch) Miss Flint also wants to escape Brownvale, and she hires Davy as her driver (never mind that he is only 13 and can’t drive). What follows is a grand adventure full of surprises and inexplicable mysteries, culminating in a bittersweet ending that will stay with readers. Miss Flint and Davy are exact opposites—she is cantankerous and wily, he is guileless and kind—and Young (the Dustlands trilogy) gradually builds a tender, believable friendship between them. Their road trip mishaps are amusing (several instances of grand theft auto are involved), and the mysteries that surface will have readers riveted. Gorgeous writing combines with a hauntingly bleak near-future setting, a whiff of holiday magic, and a transcendent story arc to make this novel feel like the classic it deserves to become. Ages 8–12.