The gothic in children's literature. Haunting the borders (review)

Gothic motifs and themes have never been more popular in children's literature, as evidenced by the worldwide publishing success of series such as Harry Potter, Twilight, and Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. This engaging and comprehensive study traces the wide-spread impact of the Gothic in children's books and, in the words of editor Roderick McGillis, asks "why a form that we might think inappropriate for young readers is so pervasive in the various forms of textuality produced for them" (p. 27).

Part of this volume's appeal is its wide-ranging focus. It tackles subjects as diverse as the relationship between humor and the Gothic, the novels of Neil Gaiman, the role of the family in contemporary young adult fiction, J.K. Rowling's employment of the Gothic mode when representing female development in the Harry Potter series, and the way in which Gothic comics for young readers subvert comic book conventions and open up new and liberating spaces for child and female characters. Many of the ideas canvassed are innovative and intriguing, particularly those expressed in standout chapters by Nadia Crandall (Cyberfiction and the Gothic Novel), Rose Lovell-Smith (the Gothic representation of the beach in The Tricksters, a novel by New Zealand writer Margaret Mahy) and Roderick McGillis's excellent conclusion (which uses M.T. Anderson's vampire novel Thirsty to propose that the Gothic mode can offer positive ways in which to understand and explain human behavior).

Aside from the fact that this book is both compelling and interesting, it fills a necessary gap in recent children's literature criticism. Reflecting on the popularity of the Gothic in fictions produced for children and adolescents, this volume also poses questions about changing cultural attitudes towards the innocence of children – because, unlike conventional Gothic heroines, the child protagonists of contemporary children's narratives rarely need rescuing; they are eminently capable of saving themselves.