Delores MacKenzie has a gift: a necromancer, she can communicate with the dead, but she can also see and communicate with Bòcan (those spirits who know they were dead but don't like it for one reason or another). It is after such an encounter where a Bòcan is trying to drag her back into their realm that Delores' sister announces that she can no longer keep her safe so is sending her to stay with her Uncle Oddvar in his bookshop in Edinburgh in order to learn how to manage and control her gifts.
Packing lightly, Delores only takes her clothes as well as a favourite book she had stolen from the school library, a scarf that still smells like her mum and a bird skull - each of which hold precious memories for her, especially since her parents are missing.
Upon arriving at the Tollbooth Book Store in the Old Town, Delilah leaves Delores at the door so she is forced to enter alone where she meets Prudence and Gabriel who are also studying under Oddvar. Delores feels scared and alone and the welcome isn't the warm one she may have been looking for. With Uncle Oddvar's very formal ways, Delores finds settling in difficult and, although Gabriel is friendlier than Prudence, she still struggles. Then a Bòcan makes itself known to her in the bookshop, a place Oddvar keeps protected, and it wants to regain its human form, something that will put Delores and her new house mates in grave danger.
I have a real soft spot for Edinburgh and so was drawn by the fact that I would be able to picture Delores wherever she went; the fact that she moves to a book shop in the Old Town just made things even more appealing. Before I began reading, I knew there would be a darkness to the book and the setting helped to enhance that. Clearly an ancient building with dark, narrow stairs and a mysterious feel to the place, the Book Shop was the perfect setting; add in that it overlooks a graveyard and you have all the elements you need for a darker novel, perfect for older MG or those starting to look at YA.
I enjoyed the range of characters in the book and the fact that you don't know everything about them immediately; that mystery keeps you interested. Delores is strong and independent, and I found Prudence particularly intriguing but it was Bartleby who became my favourite character.
The Dark and Dangerous Gifts of Delores MacKenzie is a deliciously creepy and sinister read that I thoroughly enjoyed; the book will definitely appeal to those who enjoy a gothic-style read and would also be perfect for fans of Elle McNicoll and Phil Hickes. The end of the book heavily suggests that a sequel will follow and, personally, I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.
Released on the 6th April, The Dark And Dangerous Gifts of Delores MacKenzie is guaranteed to send a shiver up your spine just as the weather begins to warm up.
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