The Leap

The Leap by Jonathan Stroud (author of the Bartimaeus Trilogy): This is about a girl named Charlie, who witnesses her best friend's (Max) drowning. He falls into a pond in a kind of trance and she goes after him and sees these water ladies taking him away. They try to take her too but she escapes, though almost drowned. She tells people her story, but most think she might just be in shock from her friend's death. When she returns home after a few weeks in the hospital, she begins to have dreams where she sees Max far in the distance. She tries to catch up, but never can reach him. She meets a man named Kip, who says he can help her. He tells her about a fair that will soon start, that there is a dance where all the new-comers to this mysterious land dance. He says if she gets to Max before the dance is over than he will be able to return home with her. But if she does not, he will be in the land forever, and forget her completely. So she journey's in her dreams by night, and by day is quiet, to herself, and basically oblivious to the world around her. Many times while she sleeps, her brother James views her in a sickly condition. There is one incedent when Kip gives her a piece of fruit he says will make her wish to find Max come true. James is watching while she sleeps and at the time she is biting the fruit, she is slowly turning more pale and sickly before his eyes, so he wakes her up before she finishes it. Obviously something is wrong with the world in her dreams, but even though her brother warns her she stills thinks she can somehow bring Max back to life. So I won't give away the end in case any of you want to read it, which you should if you like youth/fantasy books. It's pretty interesting. It has the magic touch of the Bartimaeus Trilogy, and the writing is similar to the Series of Unfortunate Events, with its dark humour. It's great!