There is magic, there is good and evil, and there is love all woven into a suspenseful and entertaining mystery. The sense of loss that permeates the family is balanced nicely with the feeling of hope and purpose that comes along with Mr. All the characters are well defined, from Lucy's rebellious nature to Oliver's frustrating struggle with becoming a man both literally and figuratively all the characters come across as real and three-dimensional. The house and the woods have terrible secrets, and Lucy and Oliver, along with a group of magical, wooden clock animals, must ultimately confront the monster in the woods that seeks to destroy Blackford House and the Tinkers along with it. But, of course, it isn't as easy as all that. All the Tinkers have to do to earn their salvation is fix the gigantic cuckoo clock that is the source of power for Blackford House, a once-grand home tucked deep in the mysterious woods of Watch Hollow. Quigley and his jingling pouch of gold coins, everyone is excited but wary.

To top it all off, the family business, Tinker's Clock Shop, is on the verge of bankruptcy. Her older brother, Oliver, is forced to be the grown-up in the family and deal with the frustrating fluctuations in voice and complexion that come with puberty. Lucy, the youngest, is always in trouble, choosing to throw punches rather than roll with them. It doesn't take long, however, for the children to realize that there is more to Blackford House than meets the eye.Gr 4–7-Ever since their mother died of cancer two years earlier, the Tinker kids can't seem to catch a break. Tinker needs to do is fix the clock at Blackford House and fistfuls of gold coins are his to keep. A mysterious stranger has made their father an offer that's too good for him to refuse. When Lucy and Oliver Tinker arrive in Watch Hollow, they have no idea that anything is wrong. But when the clock's gears cease to turn, an evil presence lurking among the trees begins to come out of the shadows. Deep within the enchanted woods in the town of Watch Hollow stands the once-grand Blackford House, whose halls hold a magical secret: a giant cuckoo clock that does much more than tell time.

Summary: New York Times bestselling author Gregory Funaro brings us into a world where magic exists, monsters roam in the shadows, and wooden animals come to life.

Watch Hollow by Gregory Funaro