''Darkside'' is a 2007 children's novel by
Tom Becker, about a boy called Jonathan Starling who discovers a world hidden in London; a world run by Jack the Ripper's family. Only the worst of the worst live here, and all too quickly Jonathan gets mixed up in a world full of murders, thieves, a werewolf and a vampire. Not to mention the cunning servant Raquella, she helps Jonathan get to his dad on time. They go on the ghost train on the Dark Line on Savage Row. Jonathon promises Raquella that one day, he’ll help Raquella run away from her master, as her master is the vampire. It was Published in 2007 by Scholastic. It won the 2007
Waterstone's Children's Book Prize
The Waterstones Children's Book Prize is an annual award given to a work of children's literature published during the previous year. First awarded in 2005, the purpose of the prize is "to uncover hidden talent in children's writing" and is there ...
and was longlisted for the 2008
Manchester Book Award
The Manchester Book Award is a project run in Manchester, UK, organised by School Services at the Manchester Library & Information Service; it is funded by the Working Neighbourhoods Fund. The project is currently in its fourth year.
Each year, ...
.
Darkside also won the Calderdale Children's Book of the year Award.
Synopsis
Jonathan Starling is a very unlucky and shy teen. He doesn’t really have a social life and lives by himself due to his dad’s strange illness. Or, at least that was his happy life in “Lightside”. He had nearly been kidnapped by a bounty hunter and taken to the very mysterious place known as Darkside. Since he has been attacked by a werewolf, been close to being stabbed with a knife and swam in the “pool of pain”. Meanwhile back in Lightside. Detectives are trying to put the puzzle pieces together and find the kidnapper of Jonathan. Also, Ricky Thomas has been taken there and has been demanded to fight jackals. Just what is the real reason that they are in Darkside?
Reception
S. F. Said, writing for ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', said "It's a marvellously convincing dystopia; the only downside is that Darkside, when we get there, seems friendlier than modern London. Perhaps that's Becker's point: that the Victorians' grotesque nightmares are less terrifying than the everyday reality we've since created. We never see enough of Darkside to be certain of this; but tantalising hints suggest that the shadow-city will be more deeply and fully developed in sequels."
See also
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Darkside
2007 British novels
2007 children's books
British children's novels
Novels by Tom Becker
Novels set in London
Scholastic Corporation books
Vampire novels
Children's books set in London
Children's books about vampires