Assam and Darjeeling

Summary (from the publisher): When their mother is lost in a terrible car crash, two children set out to bring her back from the Underworld -- a nightmare place populated by remnants from old mythologies, defunct pantheons, and forgotten folklore.

Along the way, the children discover that they cannot rescue their mother without rescuing themselves first.

Sometimes frightening, sometimes funny, and often heartbreaking, Assam and Darjeeling tells the story of a brother and sister who have to go through hell together in order to learn the true meaning of family.

Review: I won this novel (a signed copy!) as a first reads giveaway on Goodreads. The novel blew me away with its creativity. It tells the story of two children who must venture into the Underworld to find their mother after all three are badly injured in a car wreck. The novel is a skillful blend of Greek mythology and Alice in Wonderland/Chronicles of Narnia type journey. The children, who dare not reveal their real names, go by Assam and Darjeeling. Along the way, they have tea with Persophone, escape from a fox, and warily accept the help of a shady boy who died during the Black Plague. This would have been an interesting book to discuss in a college course I took on American religious traditions since it explores life after death in an inventive way, capturing multiple religious traditions.

This novel had an uneasy, eery tone throughout that generally made me uncomfortable, which is a testament to Camp's ability to create a convincing tone in his novel. I appreciated the author's depiction of the siblings; I think he accurately portrays a sibling's ability to inspire both irritation and affection in the same breath. The ending of the novel deeply upset me, but I do not think the novel could have been concluded, or would have been as powerful, with any other ending. My only criticism was that it was a tad long. I was really ready for the children's journey to be over already by the end. Otherwise, an unusual and imaginative read that made me consider the afterlife in a new way.

Stars: 4