Book cover
Ages:
11
+
Engagement:
Author:
Clive Barker
Genre:
Horror
Published:
1992
Page Count:
225
Where to Buy:
Ages:
11
+

The Thief of Always

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Ten-year-old Harvey is bored with his ordinary life until a mysterious stranger invites him to the Holiday House, where every day is filled with perfect holidays and endless fun—but the price of this paradise may be Harvey's entire life. A dark fantasy with horror elements from the master of adult horror, adapted for younger readers.

Content Ratings

No Romance
There is no romantic content; Harvey's relationships are based on friendship with other trapped children.
Moderate Themes
Harvey and other children are being consumed by the Holiday House; the cost of eternal childhood is their actual lives and futures; themes of temptation, the danger of false paradise, and the necessity of facing reality are handled with dark fantasy gravitas.
Moderate Violence
Children are being drained of their life force and aging is stolen from them; the villain is genuinely frightening and manipulative; the climax involves confrontation and magical violence; violence is fantastical but carries real stakes.