The Stars Did Wander Darkling - by Colin Meloy

About the Book

The adults in town are acting strangely. An ancient, long-buried evil has been unleashed upon the community, and it's up to Archie Coomes and his friends to stop it before it's too late.

Book Synopsis

A suspenseful and atmospheric horror set in 1980s Oregon, perfect for fans of Stranger Things, Neil Gaiman, and Margaret Peterson Haddix, from New York Times bestselling author and the Decemberists' lead singer/songwriter, Colin Meloy.

Maybe Archie Coomes has been watching too many horror movies.

All of a sudden, the most ordinary things have taken on a sinister edge: a penny on a doormat. An odd man in a brown suit under a streetlamp. The persistent sound of an ax chopping in the middle of the night.

He keeps telling himself that this is Seaham, a sleepy seaside town where nothing ever happens. Or at least nothing did, until his dad's construction company opened up the cliff beneath the old--some say cursed--Langdon place.

Soon, though, he and his friends can't deny it: more and more of the adults in town are acting strangely. An ancient, long-buried evil has been unleashed upon the community, and it's up to the kids to stop it before it's too late. . . .

Review Quotes

Praise for THE WILDWOOD CHRONICLES: "Meloy has an immediately recognizable verbal style and creates a fully realized fantasy world. Ellis's illustrations perfectly capture the original world and contribute to the feel of an instant timeless classic." - School Library Journal (starred review)
Praise for THE WILDWOOD CHRONICLES: "Meloy's storytelling skills, honed on his epic ballads for The Decemberists, translate well to prose. Ellis's precise, detailed style evokes a folksy charm that is just right for the overgrown natural world of Wildwood and its inhabitants." - The Atlantic
"A fun, creepy, attention-grabbing story... with a classic feel."
- Kirkus Reviews
"In this aesthetically eerie novel... evoking 1980s adventures such as The Goonies, and referencing horror flicks of various eras via the town's resident sage--owner of a Betamax-only video store--Meloy constructs an oddly ambiguous menace within a nostalgic summertime adventure involving cinematic chase sequences, uncanny occurrences, and psychological unease." - Publishers Weekly
"Atmospheric." - Wall Street Journal
"Meloy expertly teases out the suspense to foster an atmosphere of otherworldly mystery...with authentic chills and splashes of gore. The friendship between the four main characters drives it all, much like in Stranger Things and Stand by Me, ensuring readers' hearts are engaged as much as their adrenaline." - Booklist (starred review)
Praise for WHIZ MOB AND THE GRENADINE KID: "Meloy mirrors his characters' capers, distracting you while he moves in for the real con. It's a bona fide twist that may make you feel robbed yourself. In this case, that's a good thing." - New York Times Book Review
Praise for WHIZ MOB AND THE GRENADINE KID: "There's a lot to be said for a good, old-fashioned caper. Meloy accomplishes this rare feat with panache, turning out an infectious--and at times cinematic--adventure suffused with personal growth, secrecy, sleight of hand, and higher stakes than the story's protagonist ever imagined." - ALA Booklist (starred review)
Praise for THE WILDWOOD CHRONICLES: "A richly satisfying weave of reality and fantasy." - New York Times Book Review
Praise for THE WILDWOOD CHRONICLES: "Meloy's debut is the kind of delicate, elaborate fantasy that is so well versed in classic Narnian tropes that it is destined to be enthusiastically embraced." - ALA Booklist (starred review)