Gloam: A Times Children's Book of the Week

By Author / Illustrator

Jack Mackay, Ben Joel Price

Genre

Horror

Age range(s)

11+

Publisher

Oneworld Publications

ISBN

9780861549528

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

14-08-2025

Synopsis

In a creaky old house on a small, damp island, someone - or something - is waiting... A grieving family. A decaying house. A babysitter with a monstrous secret. Nothing on Gloam Island is quite what it seems...

Gwen doesn't need anyone to help her look after her younger siblings. And she isn't fooled by the beautiful babysitter, with the hungry eyes and sharp teeth. But everyone else is. So if Gwen wants Esme Laverne gone, she'll have to handle it herself. As Esme's power grows, Gwen must embrace her deepest fears before she can defeat the monster in her home for good. Because as everyone knows, it's impossible to be brave unless you're already afraid.

A Sunday Times Children's Book of the Week. "Thrillingly scary and impossible to put down. Don't read it alone!" Jonathan Stroud, author of Lockwood & Co.

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Reviews

Sue

Since the death of their mother, Gwen and her younger brother and twin sisters have been left with their step-father, Henry. Instead of thinking about how things have changed, she focuses on looking after her family until they move to The House, the former home of their late grandmother. When Henry announces that he has a job interview, he asks local baby sitter, Esme, to watch the children, much to Gwen's annoyance. Although everyone else seems to like her, Gwen finds the babysitter slightly sinister and takes an immediate dislike to her. As creepy things start to happen, Gwen quickly realises that she will have to take action. As Esme's power grows, Gwen is forced to face her nightmares to save her family.

I made the great mistake of reading Gloam at night, in a strange room, whilst away from home! The spooky setting, evil villain and the building sense of malevolence all combine to make this a chilling and compelling read for those who like a good scare!

Having shouldered much of the responsibility for looking after her younger siblings, Gwen is outraged when Henry suggests that he will be finding help to look after them. Capable and responsible, she is the only one who doesn't initially take to Esme Laverne, the pretty, practically perfect help babysitter, who appears in their home. With her concerns dismissed by everyone else, Gwen is determined to unmask the evil of this woman who has wheedled her way into their home and the affections of her family, finding the inner strength and resourcefulness needed to show everyone she (Esme) is really a monster.

Devious and calculating, Esme makes a chilling opponent! Proving that beauty on the outside does not equate to beauty on the inside, her actions are calculated to divide and conquer the family, seeking to isolate and punish any defiance. Just the sort of villain readers will love to hate! Perfect for children who love a scary read!

256 pages / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher