Fantasy. Juvenile Fiction. Juvenile Literature. Clay has had his fill of home life. A global plague has brought the world to a screeching halt, and with little to look forward to but a summer of video-calling friends, vying with annoying sisters for the family computer, and tuning out his parents' financial worries, he's only too happy to retreat to the woods. From the moment the elegant little dog with the ornate collar appears like an apparition among the trees, Clay sees something uncanny in her. With this mysterious Elphinore as guide, he'll glimpse ancient secrets folded all but invisibly into the forest. Each day the dog leads Clay down paths he never knew existed, deeper into the unknown. But they aren't alone in their surreal adventures. There are traps and terrors in the woods too, and if Clay isn't careful, he might stray off the path and lose his way forever. Heartfelt and exhilarating, wry and poignant, this story seamlessly merges the fantastic and the familiar in a tale both timely and timeless.… (more)