Eleven-year-old sixth grader Hector Griggs—named for the legendary hero featured in Homer’s Iliad, set against the Trojan War (Troy vs. the Greeks)— is immediately confronted with two dilemmas: his best friend Blake now hates him after Hector asks him to be his boyfriend and Hector encounters the ghost of St. Lawrence’s Catholic School for Boys. Hector is too ashamed to discuss either situation with friends, family or teachers. Set in Florida, Hector lives in a blended family and in case he doesn’t have enough to deal with, now he has added to his list of bad things in his life.
Blake is now best friends with very strange Conrad and has revealed Hector’s big question to the school. Blake beats Hector up with the help of his new eighth grade friends whenever he sees him on the school campus. In running and hiding in the clergy house where the ghost is said to reside, Hector has the scare of his life. Not only can he will himself to become invisible, but when he does, he is in another dimension where people and things that are lost can be found.
This is where Hector first meets one of the ghosts of the school. “My name is Orson Wellington. You have to help me.” He spoke so quickly that his words rammed into each other like bumper cars. “I’m stuck here. Stuck like this. It’s been years. The gelim’s hunting me and it’ll get you, too—” He looked over his shoulder. “I have to go!” The boy ran.
Hector meets Samantha Osborne (Sam) the niece of the school librarian, disguising herself as a boy to be allowed to attend the school for boys. The two become fast friends. Hector confides in Sam and the two begin to investigate the school’s history of missing or unaccounted for students. Hector vows that he will free Orson from his terror and imprisonment in this secret dimension.
Gelim is an old Irish word meaning ‘I consume’ or ‘I devour.’ The multi-headed, multi-fanged, smelly creature traps unsuspecting, lonely boys at the school and feeds off their energy. Literally running for their lives, the gelim leads the trio on a wild chase. Sam mentions Kairos, a secret organization, but cannot give out any details. A plan is hatched to lure the creature into a trap in the school cafeteria where the older students are waiting to eliminate this horror from their school.
Contradictions abound. Suspicions run rampant. Are things as they seem? Is the gelim one of the teachers who has the ability to transform from human to creature to feed their depraved appetite? Is Sam’s uncle part of a conspiracy with Sam acting as a foil? Can Kairos succeed in ridding the school of this creature’s power?
Hector and Blake are back on track at the end. The message being that we’re all different and should be accepted for whom we are. Hector’s family situation works itself out. A fun story for middle grade readers. The ending leaves room for a series to follow and since this is Book 1, the reader can expect much more from the Kairos Files series.
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I wish you all a life inspired by the wonder of the world around us. May you find and live your truth, in harmony with people, nature and the environment. May you be a force for good and a source of love and comfort. May the world be a better place for you having lived and loved here.
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Elaine Donadio Writes 