Highly atmospheric and genuinely spine-tingling, the power of family and female friendships shine in this assured debut.
The Bookseller
Amaya lives with her grandmother, her small brother Kalen and her pet goat Tau in a land suffering a terrible drought. Every night, the doors must be locked at twilight, the Switching Hour, because the drought has awoken Badoko, a creature that snatches children away to eat their dreams.
Three days later, the memory that they existed is gone from those that knew them, and those that are left afflicted with The Sorrow Sickness — a grief which consumers a person without them knowing why. When Kaleb is taken by Badoko, Amaya must journey into the terrifying forest to find her brother before she forgets him.
Reviews
An amazing read
The Switching Hour is an amazing read. My Mum had to wrestle it off me at 10pm!
A completely new lifestyle
What I really liked about this book is that you get to learn about a completely new lifestyle. I really like the idea of a young girl having to get used to her lnew life without her Mum and feeling responsible for her brother.
A heart-warming book
This is a heart-warming book about love and courage. I loved this book because it is thrilling, exciting and scary. I recommend it to anyone who likes exciting adventures.
How I was feeling
I really liked the book because of the way the plot came together. I almost felt like I was feeling what Amaya was feeling when she forgot to lock the door.
This book really made me think
I really enjoyed this book as it included animals. This book really made me think about what Amaya could do to help. It also made me think about Badeko's next move.
The author really understands
The Switching Hour has great description and I feel the author really understands a 12-year old's life. Bonds between characters, like Amaya and Kaleb, as very realistic and strong.
You never knew what was going to happen next
I really enjoyed this book as it was interesting and exciting. You never knew what was going to happen next.
Lots of action
I would recommend this book as it has lots of action and, throughout, it is quite tense.
A touching story about courage and friendship
This is a touching story about courage and friendship which should appeal to readers with modern tastes. My favourite character is Clara because she is very brave and solves many secrets.
Full of energy
I really liked The Switching Hour as it has a great plot. After reading the first few chapters, I knew it was exciting and full of energy.
The importance of family
I like this book because it has a lot of suspense and mystery. It is a spooky adventure but it tells us about the importance of family.
A thriller of a book
This is a thriller of a book and I think it shows the many different ways people deal with grief. This is a really good book that is certainly worth reading.
I was engrossed!
I found this book very easy to get into. By the second chapter, I was engrossed!
A spine-chilling adventure
This story takes the reader on a spine-chilling adventure. Your imagination is stretched to its max!
You can learn a lot from this book
You can learn a lot from this book as it is about challenges that many people face all over the world. It has a lot of emotion as well as some great lessons to learn.
An awesome book
I think this is an awesome book. My favourite character is Amaya because she is very brave and would do anything for her family.
I could barely put it down for even one minute
The Switching Hour is an exciting story about a young girl who goes on a journey to save her little brother from a terrifying monster. Reading this book, I could barely put it down for even one minute.
About The Author
Damaris Young
Damaris Young studied on the Writing for Young People MA at Bath Spa University, where she wrote her debut novel, The Switching Hour. She spent her childhood in Southern and Central Africa before moving back to the UK as an adult and she now lives in Bristol with her partner and two dogs.
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