Do NOT plan your reading time for late evening if you're even close to Chapter Forty-two. At this point in the story, friends Pia and Stefan (StinkStefan to most of his classmates) have decided to finally take action to solve the mystery of what has happened to several young girls who have simply disappeared in Bad Munstereifel. Believe me, nothing good can come of two kids sneaking out on a dark, wintry night to investigate the forces of evil behind the kidnappings!
Pia retells this story of her childhood from the perspective of an adult (whew!-she survives). In the beginning, she has been ostracized because of the freakish nature of her grandmother's recent death; her only friend is the least popular boy in school. Her home life is equally distressing; her parents quarrel constantly about whether to move to England (Pia's mother is English) to keep their children safe. Stefan has problems, too; his parents are drunks and his cousin is a town bully. The only other person who understands and cares for the two children is elderly Herr Schiller, who regularly entertains them with scary legends of their town, tales that warn them of still-lurking dangers as well as advise them how to be strong.
The events are set in a small town in Germany. Pia interjects German words, phrases and information about the local culture throughout the book. She shares many of her problems growing up in a culturally-mixed household. She can be at once incredibly perceptive about people--the old gossip Frau Kessel, for example, and at the same vulnerable and naive.
This is a great book!
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