Never stay out after the Switching Hour… never let the outside in….
Amaya lives with her grandmother, her small brother Kaleb and her pet goat Tau in a land suffering a terrible drought. Every night, the doors must be locked at twilight, the Switching Hour, because the drought has awoken Badoko, a creature that snatches children away to eat their dreams.
Three days later, the memory that they existed is gone from those that knew them, and those that are left are afflicted with The Sorrow Sickness – a grief which consumes a person without them knowing why. When Kaleb is taken by Badoko, Amaya must journey into the terrifying forest to find her brother before she forgets him.
reviews
The Observer
Just on the right side of quite scary…Thrills and spills follow as Amaya – just one of three strong female characters in this atmospheric adventure powered by love and loyalty – goes in search of the sibling she vowed to protect.’
Booktrust
The #BookOfTheDay today is Damaris Young’s brilliant The Switching Hour. A gripping read, which will prompt readers to securely lock their doors and windows at night.
The Bookseller
‘Highly atmospheric and genuinely spine-tingling, the power of family and female friendship shine in this assured debut.’
Jasbinder Bilan, author of Asha & the Spirit Bird
One of the best books published this year for these 11-14 age groups – A spine-tingling quest to rescue Amaya’s baby brother, Kaleb, from the dreaded monster, Badeko
Damaris Young 