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Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite
The Boatman is a preteen contemporary fantasy written by Kat Hawthorne and illustrated by Dora Mitchell. Izzy's world is new and strange. Since her father's recent death, she's been living with her somewhat forbidding Aunt Slaughter in her large house, and Izzy can actually see the Slaughter family cemetery from her bedroom window. Izzy has discovered that she can see ghosts, including a gopher and a squirrel, and, more significantly, a girl ghost who is pretty frightening. She's also thrilled that she can still talk to her father, who had raised her on his own until his recent death. The girl ghost carries her head around and tries to scare Izzy, but she often loses track of it, which makes it all kind of funny. She's been telling Izzy a troubling story about the Boatman, a monstrous being who haunts the dreamworld. If he can persuade the dreamer to take hold of his oar, the dreamer is his prisoner forevermore.
Kat Hawthorne's preteen contemporary fantasy, The Boatman, is deliciously droll and spooky, and Dora Mitchell's marvelous pen and ink illustrations perfectly enhance the gothic feel and atmosphere of this original and compelling story. I loved watching Izzy as she explores her new environment and converses with her friend and ally, Monty the spider. I felt suitably spooked when the two of them explore the desolate east wing and visit the shuttered-up room of her deceased cousin. Hawthorne's tale is magical and fantastic, and it's a sheer delight to read. While it's categorized for preteen readers, I'm thinking that it will appeal to many young adult and adult readers as much as it did to me. The story reads smoothly and fluidly, and it's filled with lush and colorful descriptions, especially those scenes that take place in the carnival. I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Boatman and will be looking for other works written by Kat Hawthorne. It's most highly recommended.
