reviewed by
JENNIFER KAHNG
"Warning: Not to be read after dark--especially page 148" claims the back of the dustcover. Personally, I'd say page 51, but maybe I was expecting too much from page 148.
This first book of The Last Apprentice series is told from the point of view of a 13-year-old boy named Tom Ward. He's the seventh son of a seventh son which, in many different kinds of lore, usually means he's kind of special. You see, it seems that Tom's mom had plans for him. She wanted her youngest son to take over the job of the one known as the Spook. The world of The Last Apprentice is ripe with such unnatural things as witches and boggarts and ghosts and the like and it's the Spook's responsibility to deal with such things on the behalf of everyone else in the region. The Spook in Tom's area is an aging man with a lot of tricks up his sleeve. It seems he's had a bit of trouble holding onto apprentices, though. Tom is his thirtieth, although through no real fault of the Spook's. The job, after all, isn't an easy nor a safe one.
And so we follow Tom on his journey to being the next Spook which means a lot of note taking, a lot of chores, and a lot of walking. He also must come to terms with the inherent loneliness of the job and some mild separation anxiety from having been taken from his home quite suddenly. There's also some peril after Tom meets a girl, Alice, who wears pointy shoes (one of the Spook's early lessons included the advice of not trusting girls with pointy shoes). Of course, things happen and a very strong witch is released, one that has a bone to pick with Tom.
The book is an easy read, but doesn't treat the reader like an idiot. Aimed at the 10+ age group, Delaney does a good job of engaging the reader and showing what Tom's life is like without dawdling in the mundane tasks that don't need explaining. The story is also told in first person, something I usually have trouble reading, but Delaney, I thought, did a good job with it and seems to know very well what kind of person Tom is and what kind of voice he has.
As I stated before, I did find page 51 (of the hardcover) pretty darn creepy. There are some sections of the book that, if one is immersed in the story, will likely scare your pants off no matter your age (or at least instill within you a sense of the terror Tom is feeling), and perhaps it might be a tad too scary for younger readers. But, Tom does survive (at least so far) and does quite well for himself, facing his fears and taking responsibility for his actions as well as the consequences of being connected with the Spook. Given what he's been through, I think he'll do just fine.
