The Thief of Always – A Review

With the latest news from Clive Barker’s site about there now being a director (Oliver Parker!) appointed for a Thief of Always movie, I thought it was only appropriate to review the book now.

I was a little skeptical about reading a young adult book by Clive (the man who wrote The Hellbound Heart wrote a children’s book…Really?). But as always with Clive Barker’s work, I was pleasantly surprised. The way that he is able to weave a story that incorporates adventure and horror within a tale suitable for a child is amazing.

*Warning Spoilers Ahead*

The book is an easy read as it flows so well, The Holiday House has just the right amount of joy at first before something starts to sour it all, it creeps up on you, that feeling that something just isn’t quite right. You begin to fear for poor Harvey Swick who merely wanted an adventure to alleviate his boring February. As the story moves with Harvey you realize he’s a fairly smart kid, unlike poor Wendell who keeps being lured back in by the Holiday House when Harvey has figured out that they are under some sort of a spell after the disappearance of Lulu.

My heart pounded as Harvey and Wendell attempt their first escape, it seems as though they won’t make it, that the mist will somehow turn them around at the very last moment. But they broke through, they made it, they parted ways and headed home, then Clive broke  my heart. Each day that the boys had spent in the Holiday House was a year in the real world. Harvey comes face to face with his aged parents, old enough now to be grandparents, and I nearly lose it. How can he possibly get those years back that he lost?

Well if anyone can it would be Harvey. Not to be beaten by Mr. Hood and his Holiday House, Harvey and Wendell head back to beat Mr. Hood at his own game. This is where Clive builds the story up beautifully to a final battle between Harvey and Mr. Hood. I won’t completely ruin the ending, but it was a battle that held me on the edge of my seat.

Meshed in with all of this adventure is some of Clive’s artwork, each chapter opens and closes with a drawing by Barker. Some of them, even though merely black and white artwork, are quite disturbing in their own ways. My personal favorite is the Christmas tree in front of Chapter VII A Present from the Past. If you look closely, this tree is not an innocent Christmas tree at all, but a toothy monster waiting for you to get close enough…

This book while being fun and horrific (in a good way) also has a great meaning behind it, one that every child (and adult if we’re being completely honest here) needs to find.

Don’t waste the time you have been given, it can be gone in an instant.