Book Review of Hither and Nigh: The Golden Imaginarium
The Children’s Book Review
Hither and Nigh: The Golden Imaginarium
Written by Ellen Potter
Ages: 8-12 | 272 Pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (2023) | ISBN: 978-1665910422
What to Expect: Siblings, friends, magic, other worlds, and self-belief.
The Golden Imaginarium, a sequel to Hither and Nigh, takes the surreal and magical elements of its prequel to new heights, offering a captivating reading experience.
Nell has found her missing brother but still has no idea how to return him to the human world. Even worse, her involvement in the Last Chance Club is becoming increasingly problematic as the club’s demands become more imposing, and her skill with magic fails to keep pace. With her club-mates in tow and the help of an imp she’s rapidly becoming too attached to, Nell finds herself once again traveling to the Nigh—this time to try and find out who has been sending monsters to attack the wickets between worlds.
River has gone missing, and Nell and her friends have a horrible suspicion that he might be behind the attacks. It’s down to Nell to try and work out who can be trusted and who might have become a threat—and where the Nigh is concerned, that’s way more challenging than chess hustling.
In this second installment, Nell continues to charm as a protagonist, and her relationship with Tom the Imp adds a layer of emotional depth to her character. The narrative unveils more of the intricately imagined otherworld of the Nigh, with darker elements (exploitation, slavery, institutionalized violence) that provoke contemplation and discussion. The same light humor that graced the first book prevents the story from descending into too much darkness, and the plot moves swiftly, compelling readers to keep turning the pages until they reach the end.
The Golden Imaginarium does not disappoint as a sequel—it’s almost a shame that the story ends here!
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About the Author
Ellen Potter is the author of many award-winning middle-grade novels, including the BIG FOOT AND LITTLE FOOT series, the PIPER GREEN AND THE FAIRY TREE series, the OLIVIA KIDNEY series, PISH POSH, SLOB, THE HUMMING ROOM, OTIS DOODA, and THE KNEEBONE BOY.
Her nonfiction book SPILLING INK: A Young Writer’s Handbook (co-authored by Anne Mazer) was a New York Public Library Top 100 Children’s Book for 2010 and a Children’s Literature Assembly 2011 Notable Book.
For more information, visit EllenPotter.com.
Dr. Jen Harrison reviewed Hither and Nigh: The Golden Imaginarium. Read our reviews and articles tagged with Siblings, Magic, and Friends to discover more books like it.
