One of the most talked about children’s books of 2025, Jack Mackay’s middle-grade horror debut Gloam became an overnight success and an instant hit among young fans of spine-chilling fiction. On the week of launch, Gloam was selected by The Times as its Children’s Book of the Week, while a review in The Guardian described the book as “a superbly unsettling 9+ horror.”

The story follows 13-year-old Gwen who has stifled her grief since her mother died, putting on a brave face for her younger siblings as they move into their late grandmother’s creaky old house on the tiny, damp Gloam Island. However, there’s an intruder. Esme Laverne may seem sweet and kind, but Gwen isn’t fooled by the new babysitter. As Esme’s supernatural power grows, Gwen must fight off terrifying creatures and chilling nightmares come to life as she battles to protect her family.

Jack Mackay