The Land of Lost Things

Connolly’s (“Charlie Parker” series) sequel to 2006’s The Book of Lost Things mostly stands alone, with few returning characters or spoilers from the first book. This story follows Ceres, a single mother who sits beside the bed of her eight-year-old daughter Phoebe, reading fairy tales in a desperate bid to awaken her from a coma. In a moment of frustration hearkening back to the film Labyrinth, Ceres is torn from her child and transported to a land of twisted fairy tales. Narrator Lucy Paterson lends Ceres a pragmatic voice that plays well against the unsettling creatures she encounters, from the evil Crooked Man to the water spirit Pale Lady Death. Purely happy endings are rare in this fantasy world, which allows Paterson to demonstrate her skill at delivering devastating final lines. The large cast of characters also enables Paterson to show off her talents for subtle characterization, comical personalities, and terrifying beings. Most important, however, is the palpable empathy she brings to this affecting story.