The Rift

August 1, 2019
Black Water Island is a place of savage beauty and immense power. It is home to the Rift. Nine years ago, a Rift Hound attack left Meg Archer and Cal West scarred emotionally and physically. It also endowed Cal with chilling preternatural abilities and gave Meg an overwhelming sense of guilt that still haunts her. Now almost 18, Meg is returning to the island, hoping to claim her place as a ranger, one of the island's guardians. Orphaned 17-year-old Cal was raised by the ruthless head ranger--Meg's estranged father. The Rift--vaguely defined as a "dimensional peculiarity"--is about to open, allowing the deadly Hounds to enter the world. The teens must face these otherworldly threats, as well as dangers closer to home, and their growing attraction to each other. Meg and Cal share the third-person present narration, and the universal adolescent struggle to fit in dominates their thoughts. Cal, the son of a fisherman, has always felt like an outsider, and Meg is desperate to take her place as ranger. Humor punctuates the overall serious tone. Fantasy and reality are deftly interwoven, making suspension of disbelief possible. The action unfolds swiftly; events of the past are revealed at a subtle pace. Assume whiteness throughout with the exception of two peripheral characters of color. A delicious blend of survival, fantasy, and romance. (Fantasy. 12-18)

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August 24, 2018
Meg is on her way back to Black Water Island after a long absence. Black Water Island is the home of the Rift, a tear between our dimension and another, and the original home of both Rift Hounds—nightmarish invisible beasts—and the highly sought after and protected deer with antlers that possess healing properties. Meg’s return to the island is bittersweet, particularly for her childhood friend Cal, an orphaned fisherman’s son who was bitten by a Rift Hound as a child and obtained special powers as a result. This first instalment in a new fantasy series by Rachael Craw takes a while to get going. The history of the Rift, the island, and Meg and Cal’s role in the unfolding adventure is very slowly revealed, and the book is clearly setting up a faster paced and more straightforward sequel. Craw’s worldbuilding is strong—the company at the heart of all that goes wrong is a superb example of an evil corporation right down to its name (Nutris)—but it would have been nice to see and learn about more of what lies inside the Rift. The love-hate-love story between Meg and Cal will especially draw readers in, making this a great read for fans of YA romance and fantasy aged 14 and up.

Dani Solomon the assistant manager of Readings Kids