The Night Tourist by Katherine Marsh

Summary: This modernization of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice will appeal to anyone who enjoys a supernatural mystery. I can’t believe I hadn’t heard of it before, and I’ll definitely be recommending it to my students, especially those who are fans of Greek mythology.


Young Latin scholar Jack & his father left New York City & moved to New Haven, CT not long after his mother died. But one cold evening as Jack is walking home, he is in an accident and everything changes.

Jack’s father sends him to an unusual doctor in New York City, where Jack has not been since his mother’s death eight years before. In Grand Central Station, he meets a girl, Euri, who offers him a tour of the secret areas of the station. Thus begins Jack's journey through the New York Underworld where the dead go until they are truly ready to let go of their lives and move on. Jack decides that he is meant to find his mother and, if possible, bring her back home with him. But as he & Euri travel together and he learns the secrets of Euri’s past, he begins to realize that maybe there is another reason he has found his way to the land of the dead.

Themes:
Family
Friendship
Courage
Loss/Grief

Age Appropriateness:
Grades 6 and up

Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: none
Nudity/Adult Content: none
Violence: Yes, mild.