The Haunted Lake by P. J. Lynch

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Haunted Lake by P. J. Lynch Deborah Stevenson, Editor Lynch, P. J. The Haunted Lake; written and illus. by P. J. Lynch. Candlewick, 2020 [48p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781536200133 $17.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 2-4 Spetzia Lake is so named for the village of Spetzia that lies beneath it, which was covered with water when the river was dammed to make the reservoir. The only human residents left are Jacob and his father, Reuben, who live on the hill above the lake and fish for a living; when Jacob is a teenager, they're joined by Ellen, five years younger than Jacob, devoted to him, and unfazed by stories of ghosts in the lake. One night on the lake Jacob is lured underwater by the beautiful Lilith, who does everything in her power to keep him as her husband to be in the underwater city. The years pass above water after Jacob's disappearance and Reuben and Ellen mourn him; on the very day that Jacob is to be married to Lilith, Ellen, out fishing, sees a sign from Jacob and realizes that he's captive, but can she save him in time? The telling of this folklore-rooted picture book romance is a little overlengthy and [End Page 32] the plot logic occasionally flags, but the classic trope of the drowned village works its magic; Ellen is a doughty heroine, capable of both loyal nobility and physical action. Watercolor and gouache art plays effectively with light as it shimmers along the top of the lake or creepily glows from under it, and the fluid greenish gloom of the underwater village contrasts with the hearty Irish landscape above. This could be an entertaining read for youngsters who warm to folkloric supernatural stories with just enough chill to make the happy ending satisfying. Copyright © 2020 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois