DEEP IS THE FEN, by Lili Wilkinson, Delacorte Press, April 16, 2024, Hardcover, $19.99 (young adult, ages 14 and up)
A girl finds herself the target of a sinister secret society in Deep is the Fen, a new upper young adult novel by Lili Wilkinson
Merry doesn’t need a happily-ever-after. Her life in the charming, idyllic town of Candlecott is fine just as it is. Simple, happy, and with absolutely no magic. Magic only ever leads to trouble.
But Merry’s best friend, Teddy, is joining the Toadmen—a secret society who specialize in backward thinking and suspiciously supernatural traditions—and Merry is determined to stop him. Even if it means teaming up with the person she hates most: her academic archnemesis, Caraway Boswell, an ice-cold snob who hides his true face under a glamour.
An ancient Toad ritual is being held in the sinister Deeping Fen, and if Merry doesn’t rescue Teddy before it’s finished, she’ll lose him forever. But the Toadmen have been keeping dangerous secrets, and so has Caraway. The farther Merry travels into Deeping Fen’s foul waters, the more she wonders if she’s truly come to save her friend . . . or if she’s walking straight into a trap.
There’s nothing the Toadmen love more than a damsel in distress. —Synopsis provided by Delacorte Press
Deep is the Fen is a dark fantasy that definitely gives you the willies.
The story follows Merry, an over-achieving girl who loves her home and her father. The one thing that drives her crazy is the Toadmen, a secretive group that is rumored to be practicing illegal magic. At the start, Merry comes across as a bit naïve, but she’s a strong, well-realized character that you want to follow.
Supporting characters come in the forms of Teddy and Sol — her best friends — and Caraway — her mortal enemy. There’s a sort of love triangle but not thing that happens, and then author Lili Wilkinson moves on to the enemies-to-lovers romance, which honestly just feels better within the context of the book.
Wilkinson true talent lies in world-building and setting the scene. There are some serious “ick” moments in Deep is the Fen that help create an immersive atmosphere that you don’t soon forget. That said, the story is pretty dark, so you definitely need to be in the mood.
Deep is the Fen, is a fairly fast-moving standalone that’s full of twists and turns. It’s both thought-provoking and entertaining.
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