The Book of Love is the much-anticipated debut novel from Kelly Link, whose short stories have made her a Pulitzer prize finalist. Often magical and uncanny, unfailingly funny, they cover everything from virtual boyfriends to faery handbags, plus legions of creepy rabbits.
This is another modern fairytale, with shades of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. At the centre are three teenagers: Laura, Daniel and Mo. A year ago, they died; now they find themselves brought back to life in the music room of the local high school. The man who has brought them back is the eerie Mr Anabin, who tells them only that they must now learn magic – although he won’t be teaching them how. Meanwhile, a sinister stranger has come along with them, seemingly a handsome man, but perhaps something quite different. This is Bogomil, who says that two of them will go back to the dark, frightening not-place they’ve just escaped. In order to avoid that fate, they must find out how they died, work out how to use magic, and recognise it when it’s being used against them.
