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The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

The Book of Lost Things tells of a 12-year-old English boy, David, who enters a portal to a dark fantasy world where classic fairy tales (Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, Snow White) have all been inverted into unsettling derivatives. As David makes his way through the strange world, he learns to confront his fears and reconsiders his opinions about the life and family he left behind.

The novel is entertaining throughout and never feels derivative, even though the theme of traveling through a portal to another world is by no means original.
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  1. Anonymous2:52 PM

    On the surface, at least, this sounds a lot like Michael Chabon's Summerland, which mashes Viking and Native American mythology up with little-league baseball to explore themes of youthful wonder and determination.

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