“Where the Veil Thins is a story that uses fantasy to illustrate deep meanings and provide thoughtful contemplation about adventure, education, culture, purpose, and community.”

Review by Rayleigh Gray

In a fantasy version of the late 1800s, a boy helps souls get a second chance at life.

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, Kenji’s earliest memories are of accompanying his father on annual trips to the veil, where families have the chance to bring home a loved one lost too soon. Each year, he speaks to his mother, but each year, his parents help a stranger cross the veil instead.

Returning is just the beginning: to stay for good, souls must understand what caused their death and prevent others from meeting the same fate. Kenji eagerly helps soul after soul fulfill their purpose and go back to their old lives, learning about new cultures, places, and skills along the way. But a nagging question starts to threaten his family’s routine: Why won’t his mother come home?

A children’s book that readers of any age can appreciate, Where the Veil Thins poignantly explores the power of community and the value of embracing newcomers.

"He felt a gentle breeze on his face, and suddenly a fountain of spheres erupted from the ocean, leaving trails of light behind them as they twirled and danced through the sky."

Where the Veil Thins is a story that uses fantasy to illustrate deep meanings and provide thoughtful contemplation about adventure, education, culture, purpose, and community. While on the surface, Kenji's tale seems sad and reflective, I actually thought the slower, character-focused pace of the story beautifully captures a sense of serenity and acceptance. There are themes of grief, but there is nothing graphic that would warrant trigger warnings, in my opinion, however, it is a story that deals with the fantasy concept of leading the souls of people who have passed back to their families, so there are strong emotions encountered throughout the book. Again, though, it's primarily handled with a sense of acceptance and purpose, so I didn't think it was a depressing read.

Kenji is 10 at the beginning of the book, so we watch him transition from the wide-eyed, accepting child, into the doubting, confused, and angry pre-teen who just doesn't understand what's going on. The way the book is written keeps the reader within the realm of Kenji's understanding, too, so we learn things as he learns them—by going to school and speaking to other characters. This style of narrative would appeal to Indie game developers easily, because you never know more than Kenji knows, and it's perfectly immersive. As I read this book, I wanted it to be an interactive, storytelling video game like What Remains of Edith Finch or Syberia: The World Before. I read the book in one sitting and it played through my mind with video game graphics.

For young readers: It's perfectly suitable for all audiences. There's no cursing or explicit content of any kind. The themes of grief, especially in the nature of the loss of parents and siblings, are the only things I would caution against if your young reader is sensitive to those topics. However, there are happily-ever-afters present, so it's not depressing. Also, there are so many educational opportunities because of the historical setting and the various cultural backgrounds that Kenji encounters from the souls he's helping.

Overall, I really enjoyed Where the Veil Thins and recommend it to readers who may want a slower paced, more emotion-fueled fantasy to read on a rainy day with a warm beverage.

Content Ratings:

2. Very mild action (mentions common injuries, like broken bones, without gruesome details).

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Other Trigger/Content Notices:

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