Walking with the Dead

Darleen R. Golke is a high-school teacher-librarian in Abbotsford, B.C.

At school, 12-year-old Alex contends with a bully and pines for “the
smartest and prettiest girl in the class”; at home he faces his
depressed Dad who, since Mom’s death three years earlier, has lost
interest in his “weird museum,” Oddities. When a coffin containing
“an ancient Greek corpse” acquired at an auction revitalizes Dad’s
interest, he renovates Oddities to feature the corpse and, just before
Halloween, advertises with a Haunted House Walking Tour. With the
corpse’s advent, Alex begins experiencing strange electrical shocks
and other weird sensations. On the night of the tour, Alex is hit by a
“huge surge of electricity.” He stumbles and falls on the corpse,
who awakens; a chase ensues. With the corpse on the loose, Alex recruits
Freddie’s help and they learn Costos, the corpse, lacks the essential
gold coin to cross into the afterlife.

Readers would benefit from a working knowledge of Greek mythology to
appreciate fully the boy’s ensuing adventure as Alex resolves to help
Costas and the three embark upon a journey to the Elysian Fields. They
manipulate Charon, the boatman; present Costas to the Ancient Ones; seek
assistance from Tiresias, the Elysian Fields prophet; overcome the
horrors of Hades, the Labyrinth, and the Minotaur; and free Costas from
the Chamber of Darkness. Tiresias explains parallel time with “past,
present and future” all “simultaneous, merely in different
dimensions,” which permits their passage and allows them to thwart a
murderous usurper of the Greek throne. After Alex ensures Costas’s
path to the Elysian Fields, a “powerful force” shoots the boys
“through the night sky” and slams them into bed back in Alex’s
room.

The novel’s action-packed pace and snappy dialogue reflect
Falcone’s experience as a writer for the television series Are You
Afraid of the Dark? An earnest protagonist, an amusing co-conspirator, a
worthy quest, and plenty of obstacles combine to provide an entertaining
adventure for young readers. Recommended.