The Boggart and the Monster
by Susan Cooper
4 out of 5 stars
The shape-shifting Boggart loves to play tricks on people in his ancient castle in Scotland. Emily and Jessup come to visit and go on a camping trip with their friend Tommy to visit Loch Ness, and the Boggart has come along for the ride. The Boggart finds his old cousin Nessie, a fellow boggart who has gotten stuck in the shape of a huge plesiosaurus and is the origin of the legends of the Loch Ness monster. Nessie has been sleeping at the bottom of the loch for decades, but now the Boggart is encouraging him to get out of the monster shape and into his proper invisible boggart-shape. But Nessie keeps reverting back into a huge monster, and a scientific team is scouring the loch looking for evidence of the Loch Ness monster legend. The two boggarts will need the children to help them evade the scientists and find peace again in a quiet corner of Scotland.
This book is so enchanting from start to finish! I love the way that the modern world collides with the ancient legends. It’s really interesting that a large part of the story is told from the Boggart’s and Nessie’s perspectives, so we get to see the Boggart’s humorous mischief and Nessie’s loneliness. It’s so imaginative and fun!
The writing is absolute perfection, bringing the reader into the emotions and thoughts of each character, and weaving these funny scenes that also have a deeper meaning. There are a few scenes that really tugged at my heart as we see Nessie longing to find a new place to belong with his own family. He’s so helpless and heartbroken, but the Boggart and the children give him a new happier life.
Reading it for the second time, I listened to the audiobook narrated by David Rintoul, and it was beautifully done! You could hear the urgency and tension in the narrator’s voice during the adventurous scenes. Really excellent narration!
This book has been screened on the Screen It First website for some underage drinking and mild profanity. https://screenitfirst.com/book/the-boggart-and-the-monster-929760
