It isn’t every day that a novel for 8- to 12-year-olds reminds you of TS Eliot’s Four Quartets, Dante’s Inferno and Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. There’s a dash of The Twilight Zone in there too, plus a hint of the Wild Wood from The Wind in the Willows, all swirled together at the same time. And as young Charlie Noon discovers in this intriguing book, time itself can be a tricky concept.
When we meet her, life is clearly not great for Charlie. Her grandad has died and left his house to Charlie’s mum and dad, which is handy as her dad has lost his job in London and they need somewhere cheaper to live. But Charlie finds moving to the country pretty tough, and is also worried about her parents, who argue constantly. School isn’t easy either, and Charlie wonders if she’ll ever feel happy again.
The plot takes off when Charlie and her friend Dizzy get lost in the woods near their village, along with Dizzy’s enemy, the class bully Johnny Baines. Night falls, strange things happen, and it soon becomes clear that Charlie and her friends are no longer in the normal world. Like Dante, they’re lost in a dark wood that’s a symbol of their problems, and they don’t know how to find a way out.
This is familiar territory for Edge’s fans. He’s a writer of genuine originality, his stories exploring the trials of growing up and family life through plots based on the complex science of quantum physics and black holes. Charlie has to grapple with Time, and like Old Possum she learns that her end is in her beginning. Ultimately it’s up to her to choose the path she will follow in life.
This could all feel worthy in less skilled hands. But Edge creates strong characters who come alive on the page, and he has a thriller writer’s feel for suspense. He can be lyrical as well, especially where the natural world is concerned. The climax of the story, when Charlie meets someone special in a white room, is a real 2001 moment.
Charlie’s story is also a rare thing, a novel that will be enjoyed by those who don’t usually like fiction. Time will fly as they read it.
• The Longest Night of Charlie Noon is published by Nosy Crow (£6.99). To order a copy go to guardianbookshop.com or call 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over £15, online orders only. Phone orders min p&p of £1.99.
